Work in PR?

Keep your radios tuned to your local NPR station.

On today’s “Morning Edition,” the media organization said:

“Public relations is very big business, and in the next month we’re going to look at the PR industry. Who does it? How it works? And the extent of its influence?”

It began with a report on BP—titled “BP: A Textbook Example Of How Not To Handle PR”—in which several PR pros eviscerated the oil company’s response to last year’s massive oil calamity in the Gulf of Mexico.

NPR reported:

“Current BP officials wouldn't comment on the record for this story. But people familiar with the inside of BP's crisis control effort and outside experts say early on, BP didn't have a public relations strategy. It failed to communicate the three key messages the public needed to hear: That BP was accountable for the disaster, was deeply concerned about the harm it caused, and had a plan for what to do.”

Glenn DaGian, a 30-year veteran of BP’s communications department, is featured heavily in the story. DaGian retired one year before the spill. He told NPR that he wanted “back in the game” when news broke about the oil-rig explosion and subsequent spill.

“DaGian watched from the sidelines as BP executives declared it was not their accident, blamed their contractors and made the company look arrogant and callous. The company's response has become a textbook example of how not to do crisis management.”

Long(ish) story short: BP called in DaGian.

The report also manages to take a swipe at PR consultants:

“DaGian knew one reason for the company's colossal PR missteps. CEO Tony Hayward had slashed BP's public- and government-relations shop to cut costs. So, Hayward was listening to outside consultants and rookies. They let him walk the beaches in a starched white shirt.”

Read (or listen to) the full story at NPR.

(Image via)