7 (more) myths about public relations

Like many professions, it’s changed, grown, and become far more specialized in recent years. But myths and false stereotypes abound. I’ve written about the most persistent ones, such as the confusion between PR and publicity, or the suggestion that PR is advertising “lite.”

But, there’s more. Here’s a short list of my current favorites.

Any press is good press

In the age of reality TV, this is one myth that’s less ridiculous than it used to be. It may even hold true if you’re Snooki or Kim Kardashian. But you’re probably not.

Risky stunts or tasteless tweets can be costly. More to the point, negative publicity is much more challenging to manage today. The Web is forever, so that unguarded quote or nasty headline can do lasting reputation damage.

PR is all about contacts

Not really. Contacts are overrated. They can help you gain a hearing, and generate valuable feedback on a story idea or pitch, but contacts alone won’t get you far unless the idea’s a good one.

Startups shouldn’t hire PR consultants