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I held the stereotypical view of public relations people -- sleaze bags -- until I wrote my first book. In my heart, I believed it deserved to be read, but how could I get it noticed among the 60,000 other books published that year? I soon realized publicists could serve an honorable purpose.
Publicist is actually only one specialization within the public relations field. Public relations types also develop corporate images consonant with community values, promote anyone from a rock star to seminar leader, and of course, do damage control. I recall that when the Oakland Unified School District school board decided to mandate Ebonics for its students, a national firestorm erupted. Then the district hired a public relations firm, and its message was clarified (some say sanitized), and the storm blew over. That's the bad part of PR. You're often a spin doctor, and you're perceived that way.
If you want to be a self-employed PR person, specialize, for example, in environmental groups, biotech companies, or shareholder communications. Key skills include the ability to think up clever ideas quickly and in quantity and pitch them compellingly to the media.
Bonus: Many PR people attend cool parties with the media and glitterati.
My vote for the most effective publicity stunt? When IBM pitted its Big Blue computer against chess superstar, Garry Kasparov.
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