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Letters to the EditorEditor, Apparently, a recent column that dealt with a presentation by a public relations representative of the Philip Morris Corporation offended at least one of the event's attendees. The writer of "Opportunity lost to eager students" calls the Post columnist "a misguided and selfish journalist who stole the chance of many students who wanted to learn," by using the presentation as an "opportunity to ambush the [Philip Morris] representative about the practices of Philip Morris…just so he could have material for his column." I'm astounded by the letter writer's completely ludicrous suggestion that the event was intended to be either a private meeting of the Public Relations Student Society of America or an informative lecture on the public relations profession. First, the event was in Anderson Auditorium, which is open to the public and advertised in The Post. Second, as someone who attended the event, I can personally attest that the event was essentially a 45-minute commercial for the Philip Morris Corporation. The Post columnist simply attended the event and raised his hand during the question-and-answer period like anyone else. He asked how Philip Morris' documented practice of marketing cigarettes to children overseas was consistent with its U.S. advertising and public relations campaign that professes "Kids shouldn't smoke." A critical question? How "selfish and misguided" indeed! What a lack of "journalistic integrity!" True, a faculty adviser did "have to" step in and cut off discussion. This was after an older gentleman said several of his family members died of cigarette-related cancer and questioned the speaker's morality. After the Q-and-A session was drawn to an abrupt halt, a small crowd, including myself, gathered in the lobby of Scripps Hall to "ambush" the speaker with the kind of critical debate the event's moderators prevented during her presentation. But as an Ohio University professor of public relations kept us occupied, Philip Morris' PR representative was quietly ushered out the building's back door. Ironically, as this was taking place, the professor informed me the job of a public relations professional is "to create a two-way relationship" between the public relation professional's employer and the public at large. I asked her if through establishing such a relationship, public relations professionals help empower ordinary citizens by creating a dialogue between them and large, powerful corporations. "Oh yes, I think public relations can certainly have that effect," she replied with a smile. Personally, I'm not convinced. And in my opinion, OU students aspiring to be paid liars and intellectual prostitutes of corporate America have little room to criticize the Post columnist for his lack of "journalistic integrity." But this surely is not the only opinion on the subject. Therefore, I challenge any PRSSA student representative or OU professor of public relations to a public debate on whether the public relations profession has a positive or negative impact on American democracy. In the interest of establishing "a two-way relationship" between the public relations program here at OU and the students who fund it, I expect you'll support the idea of such a debate. –Damon Krane |