Masters of (anti) Spin

Everyone who is in the business of Public Relations knows that our industry suffers from, well, bad PR. We are Spin Masters, Spin Doctors. Our job is to twist and distort — some even believe LIE — all for the singular benefit of the evil corporation we represent.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

When applicants are researching this industry as a career option (which they most certainly should do before applying), many look to popular media characters like The Hills or Sam from Sex In the City. Once accepted, they often struggle telling their loved ones what they’ve just signed on to learn. We at Centennial College’s Story Arts Centre’s post graduate PR program spend the first few weeks of classes defining the profession, refuting the myths and emphasizing ethics and truth above all else. Included in tuition are membership fees to either the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) or Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) both with Codes of Conduct that emphasize professionalism and accurate representation of fact. This is precisely why we want them to become members, to appreciate the weighty ethical implications to ‘serve the public interest’ — or as I like to call it, the ‘do no harm’ clause of CPRS’ definition of public relations.

As we look to the future of work (see last post) for the next generation of PR stars, more than ever I believe it is time to up-end the myth that we are Spin Masters and instead stand tall as the Stalwarts of Anti Spin.

Wait. What?

Our role — now and in the future, maybe because of Artificial Intelligence, maybe in spite of it — is to be the anti-spin. In this era of mistruths and fake facts, information created by and spit out by bots, we can actually be the keepers of truth and reverse the traditional myth that we spin. And for that I believe, you need humans. Humans who still care about their fellow citizen, who believe in doing the right thing, in high standards of accuracy and professionalism, in serving the public interest. More than ever, the world needs us. Truth is our super power, our Captain Marvel in a world where the End Game is dangerous deceit. The world needs our judgement, our insight, and our ability to make meaningful connections.

If this sounds like something you need to be doing with the rest of your life, apply here. What are you waiting for?