Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight

Once again, a public relations firm is in the news for the unethical professional conduct of one of its own.

And once again, it’s over the issue of disclosure.

Reports surfaced in Gawker and elsewhere yesterday that a young professional employed by Mercury Public Affairs had posed as a university student and registered under a false name to gain access to a “closed press conference” held by Warehouse Workers United (WWU). Mercury’s client, Walmart, is trying to open a store in the Chinatown area of Los Angeles, and local labor groups, among others, are challenging the store’s permitting. Allegedly, the Mercury employee infiltrated the meeting to interview union members, one would assume to gain inside information that would benefit her client.

This woman’s actions—and the subsequent reactions—have rippled through the profession, leaving her unemployed and the public relations profession with yet another black eye that erodes the public’s trust in our craft....

What struck me recently in conversation with a few thoughtful PR pros was that we should be concentrating on adding values as well as value to programs.

When you look at a grove of old growth trees do you see value or values? That may define the true PR professional...