Now for the Rest of the Story

Howard Simons: Did you call the White House press office?
Bob Woodward: I went over there; I talked to them. They said Hunt hadn't worked there for three months. Then a PR guy said this weird thing to me. He said, "I am convinced that neither Mr. Colson nor anyone else at the White House had any knowledge of, or participation in, this deplorable incident at the Democratic National Committee."
Howard Simons: Isn't that what you expect them to say?
Bob Woodward: Absolutely.
Howard Simons: So?
Bob Woodward: I never asked about Watergate. I simply asked what were Hunt's duties at the White House.

Robert Redford, as journalist Bob Woodward, stars in the 1976 film "All the President's Men" that won four Oscars, and numerous other award nominations, for its portrayal of a Washington Post reporter (Woodward) covering initially a minor news story about a break-in at the Democratic Party National headquarters that ultimately follows a trail leading through the Republican Party to the White House. The political manipulations of those in power over the media is well represented in the film, and the above scene depicts the exact premise the "Public Relations and Lobbying Industry" article from Corporate Watch presents.

Consider this corporate website copy, taken from an environmental company-focused national public relations firm:

"Effective environment PR specialists won’t just report your news, they’ll help you create it. There are many ways you can contribute to the environment and a savvy and experienced environment pr firm like [omitted] can help. If your product or service isn’t environmentally friendly, environment pr can get you involved in environmentally friendly fundraisers or event affiliations."

Manipulation. Strategy. Spin. Is this a surprise in today's mega-conglomerate, politically motivated, and special-interest controlled media? Not to me.

Even the more light and airy movie "Broadcast News" (1987), starring William Hurt as television news anchor Tom Grunick, portrays a scene in which Grunick says to fellow broadcaster Aaron Altman (played by co-star James L. Brooks): "Just remember that you're not just reading the news, you're narrating it. Everybody has to sell a little. You're selling them this idea of you, you know, you're sort of saying, trust me I'm, um, credible. So when you feel yourself just reading, stop! Start selling a little."

In these two instances, the movies do not stray far from truth about the media industry. Without a doubt, the PR of news spin is meant to attract ratings. Ratings attract advertisers. Advertisers keep the media companies on the air or in print. Investigative reporting and solid journalistic writing is becoming an "art form" skill of the past. Even Corporate Watch's 2003 report preceded the explosion in newspapers transferring their future business stakes to the internet and web broadcasts over the traditional print paper. All major broadcast outlets have presence on the web. Simply put, as the business of journalism evolved over the past two centuries, so too will it evolve with the current changing times. Today, it is social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook, spreading news, tomorrow remains a mystery of the next novel approach. Consider all this carefully when selecting your source on environmental news or matters of energy development.

In today's model -- because of easy access -- almost anyone can create a news site, a news blog, or other presentable format to exchange information. Perhaps just as one does his or how own due research in finding a good doctor or dentist, so too does some burden rest with the public to demand quality in their source of news. Seek out those journalists and news providers that take their craft seriously, those that carry credentialed reporters trained in widely recognized (and accredited) schools of journalism, or those whose recognition is merited beyond popularity alone. Seek quality, balance, well researched, and creative individuality over regurgitated and warmed over monotony. In matters of environmental or ecological content, beware of "greenwashing" or the simple brainwashings from PR and advertising in not only news content, but also in product information from "environmentally-friendly" items.

I can't say that I am apathetic or angry about the current trend in media and public relations, certainly no more or less than with a whole host of other trends in our world (including my own industry of architecture and ecological design). Perhaps I reserve the right to choose -- to choose whether I read a particular columnist or newspaper or not, choose to watch or not a particular television news team or view a certain web source, or to choose to do my homework about a company or product. My naturally analytical and critical-thought oriented mind sees poor attempts in a flash, and my years experience in life and hard lessons taught me to not take everything you read or watch as absolute.

There are always shades of gray. And now, time for me to tune into the "rest of the story."

Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford in "All the President's Men"