If a journalist looks to Hollywood for portrayals of his or her profession, the choices include gems such as All The President’s Men, Good Night and Good Luck, Broadcast News, Network, and more.

Sure, Network and, to a lesser extent, Broadcast News offer a satirical take on the news media, but for the most part Hollywood depicts journalists as defenders of truth.

PR professionals, on the other hand, have a more dubious list of movies from which to choose—among them, Thank You For Smoking, Wag the Dog, and Primary Colors. All of them are good films, but they don’t cast the industry in the greatest of lights.

A top PR executive, 5W Public Relation founder and CEO Ronn Torossian, ranks those three pictures on his list of the top 10 movies about PR—movies that he says budding professionals should watch if they want to become the industry’s best.

In a column for The Business Insider, Torossian writes:

“While there is very little in the mass media which accurately reflects the day-to-day of a public relations career, this list can help those wanting to become the best in the PR industry.”

Yes, kids embarking on a career in PR, watch Thank You For Smoking and pay close to attention to the way PR professionals in the tobacco, alcohol, and firearms industries enjoy cocktails while bragging about their ability to spin. Or this scene, in which the main character talks to his son’s class on career day and compares cigarettes to chocolate:



You can see Torossian’s list of the top movies about PR here.

We’re assuming he forgot a disclaimer, maybe something like: Watch these cautionary tales on how not to conduct yourself.

(Image via)