As a follow-up to the Publicis Sex Suit Exposé, Business Insider asked, “Does The PR Business Discriminate Against Women?” Plus, Jim Edwards posted an exclusive story indicating MSLGroup Managing Director Neil Dhillon held a staff meeting to deny the charges and pooh-pooh the lawsuit.
First, inquiring about the propensity for gender bias in the PR field is the equivalent of asking if the sky is blue. Advertising and PR are close pals, and it’s likely the two share hiring-related quirks in regards to women. Besides, if people appear ambivalent over the dearth of dames on Madison Avenue, does anyone honestly give a flying fuck about the issue as it pertains to the PR field? Heaven forbid a survey of males versus females might include tallying the racial and ethnic makeup too.
Second, shouldn’t a PR expert know better than to create opportunities for additional scrutiny and criticism? And how does it look for a leading man at the firm to publicly play defense? It would have been more convincing if MSLGroup female executives stepped forward and said it ain’t so—or if someone recruited Karen Mallia to weigh in. Maybe Dhillon believes any PR is good PR. If so, he’s getting what he deserves—including a Business Insider anonymous comment that reads, “Someone should ask Neil about his own racy history with sex discrimination and domestic battery...” Brilliant.
No comments:
Post a Comment