That was the question posed by PRNewswer Editor Tonya Garcia in an article about what she called the “ongoing feud” between the J.R. O’Dwyer Company and PRSA.

To answer Ms. Garcia’s question, yes, I am tired of it. PRSA members also are tired of it, especially those who have been personally targeted by Publisher Jack O’Dwyer, but more on that later.

The latest shotgun blast in this “feud” stems from PRSA’s decision not to extend press credentials to Mr. O’Dwyer, which would have allowed him to “report” on our Leadership Assembly meeting and International Conference, which took place Oct. 15-18, in Orlando, Fla.

To be sure, this was an unprecedented step, and one we did not take lightly. We understood that we would face criticism from those who may not understand why an organization that represents public relations professionals would take an action that seems to fly in the face of established public relations tenets.

For this reason, we explained our position in a statement, in an extended conversation with Bill McCarren, executive director of the National Press Club, and in a 23-page letter sent to Mr. O’Dwyer, which outlined our concerns with his professional conduct. (The letter was at the link provided at the time of this writing.)

Continue reading " ‘Aren’t you tired of it by now too?’ "

Delegates to PRSA’s 60^th Assembly, and the inaugural PRSA Leadership Assembly, turned their attention toward the Society’s strategic planning as they met prior to the start of PRSA’s 2010 International Conference, “Powering PRogress.”

Delegates were provided with a vision for PRSA’s future as part of the annual State of the Society Report, given via a joint presentation by Gary D. McCormick, APR, Fellow PRSA, 2010 PRSA chair and CEO, Rosanna M. Fiske, APR, chair-elect of PRSA and William M. Murray, CAE, PRSA president and CEO.

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To commemorate PRSA Ethics Month, PRSAY is offering a monthlong series of posts on important ethics issues facing the public relations profession. This is the fourth and final post in the series.

As I settled in and attempted to get comfortable in seat 1A on a puddle jumper to parts west recently, my conversation with the flight attendant turned to our life histories. Garrett H., age 55, shared with me that he’s been flying for the past five years, following a successful, 30-year career as an executive at an insurance company. Having been summarily “let go,” he came to realize that life at the top was no longer the thrill ride it once was. Yes, the perquisites were nice, but not worth having to endure petty politics and insecure executives, and certainly not worth compromising his personal integrity.

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The attention being focused on accreditation as a result of the debate about PRSA governance and the requirements for national board service has overshadowed the work being done to raise awareness of the credential and enhance its value. This already has been a particularly active year for accreditation, and it is about to get busier in the coming months.  Here’s a quick status report.

Updating the current APR Examination. The Policies and Procedures of the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB) — the multi-organizational body that maintains the accreditation program — require that an analysis of the public relations profession be conducted every ten years. The 2010 practice analysis was completed earlier this year, providing perspective for the new roles, methodologies and technologies that the profession has adopted over the past decade.

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To commemorate PRSA Ethics Month, PRSAY is offering a monthlong series of posts on important ethics issues facing the public relations profession. This is the third in the series.

I was honored to represent PRSA and the public relations profession at last week’s “Next Ethics?” workshop, hosted by Kent State University and The Poynter Institute.

The sixth-annual workshop, held at KSU’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication, explored the ways in which technology, innovation and “citizen journalists” are challenging established views on objectivity, transparency and the role of the press. The panel on which I participated, along with Alan Miller of the Columbus Dispatch, Lindsay McCoy of AkronNewsNow.com and Tara Pringle Jefferson of the Cleveland Foundation, discussed the evolving ethical issues at the intersection of journalism, technology and public relations.

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