Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World scandal prompted the publication of the advertisement above. Earlier reports indicated Edelman was recruited to service Murdoch’s News Corporation, so it’s likely the PR giant helped craft the moronic message.
Places like Edelman have become the ambulance chasers of the industry. Is your multibillion-dollar corporation responsible for an oil spill, factory explosion or product malfunction with high fatality figures? Have board members been publicly exposing their members? Is your CFO nicknamed “Benihana” for creatively cooking the books? We can help—and we’ll even throw in a few free tips for your blogging and Twitter strategies.
Not sure what compelled Murdoch to hire the PR firm. Surely the man’s media empire employs writers more skilled than the hacks at Edelman. Isn’t it common knowledge that most PR wonks chose their profession after failing to succeed as copywriters or journalists?
To demonstrate the point, consider this advertisement’s headline, “We are sorry.” The phrase can and will be read two ways:
1) We apologize.
2) We are pathetic.
And the public will probably prefer the second interpretation.
Sorry, but this confederacy of con artists just feels fundamentally flawed. If you’re caught doing something unethical and sleazy, don’t call in expert liars. It’s like Tommy Flanagan teaming up with Joe Isuzu—when the situation really demanded Fletcher Reed.
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