The 10 Commandments for Avoiding a Public Relations Disaster


by Dr. Sander Marcus - Date: 2007-04-12 - Word Count: 259 Share This!

The 10 Commandments for Avoiding a Public Relations Disaster:

Ever wonder why so many people have gotten into trouble because of what they have said or written that has become public on TV, radio, newpapers, or the internet? The author has recently discovered an ancient scroll with ten sacred commandments that can ensure that the reader will avoid these public relations pitfalls.

1.Thou shalt think - and think clearly and carefully - before thou speaketh or writeth.

2.Thou shalt not write or say anything (that is, ANYTHING) that thou wouldst not be proud to see quoted in the newspaper, TV, radio, or Internet.

3.Thou shalt never say or write anything that is "off the record," since thou knowest that in today's world, NOTHING is off the record.

4.Thou shalt avoid jokes and trying to be "funny" or "cute," since thou knowest that most humor has a hostile and sarcastic element. Thou shalt leavest the humor to the professional comedians and comedy writers.

5.In whatever thou sayest and writest, thou shalt ask, "How would someone who hates me interpret this?"

6.Thou shalt keep things positive, and avoid the negatives.

7.Thou shalt not insult any specific individual or group.

8.Thou shalt avoid the temptation to say something controversial, or to offer an "off the cuff" opinion about anything controversial.

9.Thou shalt offer opinions only within one's own areas of knowledge, competence, and experience.

10.When in doubt about what to say or write, thou shalt consult.

The author is not certain which ancient public relations firm wrote the above ten commandments. However, their relevance for today's world is unquestioned.

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Related Tags: disaster, for, a, public, 10, relations, the, commandments, avoiding

Dr. Sander Marcus is a clinical psychologist with the Center for Research & Service at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago. Specializing in motivational, career, and business areas, he has co-authored two books on underachievement and a nationally used sales test for hiring and training (the SalesAP, Sales Achievement Predictor), as well as dozens of articles. He can be contacted at marcus@iit.edu, 312-567-3358. The IIT Center website is www.center.iit.edu. Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles

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