Tear Down That Wall

Much has changed since Jack O’Dwyer started this magazine in 1987. That was the year President Reagan challenged Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall. Twenty years later, the public relations industry is tearing down walls and opening borders with technologies unimagined then.

In the 1980s public relations focused on ink — How much can you get and how positive is it? Today the focus has shifted to how we create buzz and work within ubiquitous social networks.

There are more than a few PR professionals who don’t know the difference between MySpace and outer space. But it behooves all of us to tear down the walls and learn about new media.

What do these open borders mean for those who have invested decades in building relationships with print journalists? Opportunity. The opportunity to offer our clients new channels to communicate their messages. The opportunity to engage audiences in conversations about issues important to them. The opportunity to build relationships, loyalty and, ultimately, business on the basis of trust and openness.

We also face the temptation of mindless allegiance to talking points. Let’s face it – the PR industry isn’t known for fostering open and candid conversations. Instead, many journalists equate our business with shutting down diverse points of view through relentless message discipline. Changing old ways isn’t easy, but with new opportunity comes new responsibility to counsel our clients to be open.

The world can change in 20 years. Just ask Jack. You’re sure to get an earful. I look forward to what the next 20 years brings and to being part of an industry that embraces change. Let the next wall come down.

This article originally appeared in O'Dwyer's PR Report 20th anniversary edition in August 2007. Visit O'Dwyer's online at www.odwyerpr.com. Note: Subscription required.