Yesterday Deon Daugherty with the Houston Business Journal called and asked if I would comment on a recent article in The Onion about the increase in job opportunities for recent PR grads in the fracking industry.

For the uninitiated, The Onion, which labels itself as a satirical news outlet, in some parts of society is viewed as a reliable news source, but in reality it is about a step below The National Enquirer.

Considering someone from the Fifth Ring team is on the phone with a reporter from the HBJ (seemingly) on a daily basis securing or staffing an interview, I figured it was the least I could do. Click here to read Deon’s blog post.

Of course, it didn’t take long to determine The Onion article was less than thorough and ultimately it got me thinking about a couple of things…

Specifically, where did the idea come from that companies hire PR people to shield them from controversy or help them come up with ways to keep secrets secret? This couldn’t be further from the truth. Most are wholly interested in helping their clients do the right things and generate compelling stories that advance the brand in some way.

Do we get called in to help (re)position the client in the best possible light when times are tough or when there has been a corporate misstep? Of course we do.  But rarely does that conversation happen without a PR pro seeking clarity and advocating for stakeholder visibility. Typically this comes with some sort of mea culpa and a plan to correct the issue.

Are there illegitimate PR practitioners who violate all manner of professional ethics and morals? Of course there are, but you have that in every profession.

Ben Franklin said “three can keep a secret if two are dead.” Given the nature of the digital world as we know it today, it is inevitable that secrets do not stay secret and wrongdoing will eventually be found out. So, companies—no matter the industry—would be well advised to heed the counsel of public relations people who are guided by a code of ethics that was written with the wellbeing of the general public in mind.

More often than not, the principles of PR are put to use to ensure a company or spokesperson doesn’t inadvertently say the wrong thing and thus create an issue when in fact there isn’t one.

The next thing that struck me was how can The Onion get away with referencing a “labor market report” without any mention of who authored the report or even the title? The article has gone on to be quoted or referenced on dozens of online sites with none questioning the premise of the report, article or the source.

One reporter, Susan Phillips of State Impact Pennsylvania, which contributes to WHYY and WITF, called it a joke.

If we do operate under the premise that the article is a bit of a ruse, then the following quote from The Onion’s story might be a great example of a person being quoted who should have utilized PR assistance.

Regarding recent PR grads, Bart Hobijn observed:

"These days, media-savvy professionals who know how to publicize questionable scientific data in order to downplay the environmental dangers of forcing toxic fluids into the ground can pretty much write their own ticket."

I don’t know how many “recent PR grads” you know, but I have yet to meet one who was a savvy enough to do what Mr. Hobijn suggests. I suppose the same could be said of economists and researchers who used questionable methods and data to assure the public that investing in banks who participated in credit-default swaps was in fact a sound, strategic investment.

That being said, the quote seems misinformed given the unsourced nature of the survey.  My guess is he said it as a private citizen and not in an official capacity, but The Onion portrays him as the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s spokesperson offering comment on behalf of the federal government.

Clearly the PR industry could stand to do a bit of good PR on its own behalf, but I would be willing to bet Mr. Hobijn is wishing he had a PR person helping him potentially dig out of a hole right now. If he does indeed need some assistance, I know some savvy folks right there in San Francisco who would be willing to help out.

I was recently brought into the exciting world of PR working as an intern for Fifth Ring in Houston. Little did I know how much I would learn and gain from this experience.

Fifth Ring Houston opened its doors in August 2008, and in a short amount of time has flourished into a powerful Houston agency. Recently, Fifth Ring won a PRSA Houston Mid-Size Agency of the Year Excalibur Award, and it has been a pleasure being able to witness such success.

Fifth Ring has global offices in Houston, Aberdeen, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur and Abu Dhabi, and it is amazing to me how seamlessly everyone works together and supports each other’s efforts. We know if we can’t find the answer here in Houston, we can rely on someone across the ocean to support us.

The office culture of Fifth Ring is very much work hard and play hard. If we’re not speaking with a client or discussing strategic next steps, it is often silent, except for the clicking and clacking of genius spreading through our fingertips! Of course, we occasionally come up for air and talk about the on-goings of the world and pop culture phenomenon, but we truly are here to deliver award-winning, results-driven public relations and marketing campaigns for our clients.

While at Fifth Ring, I have had the ability to write press releases and articles, work with media, and see the benefits our efforts have for our clients first-hand. Each day we are presented with new challenges, and each day we find better solutions. I am fortunate to be surrounded by individuals that challenge me and encourage me to expand my skills and learn different tools that will transcend into my future career.

Like many young women my age, I grew up watching the stereotypical chick-flicks and TV shows that portray public relations as an exotic, trendy, and fast-paced career. However, as I began to pursue my career in public relations I realized just how much hard work and dedication it takes to be in this industry, and let me tell you, I am up for the challenge.

Thank you,

Kelly Lawrence

Fifth Ring proudly sponsored the July PRSA Houston Energy Media Mixer that brought together five key Houston energy media and more than 50 people from various energy companies. http://www.prsahouston.org/

Here’s who attended on the reporter side:

• Deon Daugherty, Houston Business Journal
• David Cohen, World Oil
• Judy Murray, Hart’s E&P 
• Linda Hsieh, Drilling Contractor 
• Greg Miller, Bisnow 

As PR professionals it is important to understand what our publication targets look for and tailor an appropriate pitch. Attendees were able to get an insider’s look on how to do this more appropriately.

Do you ever wonder how to best pitch a publication? Well the editors told us! Here’s what they had to say.

• World Oil announced its 2012 editorial calendar will be available online in September and that stories should be pitched three months in advance.
• The HBJ is printed weekly, specifying Mondays are best for interviews while Thursdays and Fridays are best for pitching stories. HBJ looks at company blog posts for potential stories, in part because Deon is new to the energy industry.
• Drilling Contractor is taking stories through September for its next issue, and the team publishes 24 online issues a year.
• Bisnow is currently preparing to launch an energy section; the publication plans to be online by August 1. They want pictures of people and events.
• Hart’s E&P always welcomes submissions for online posting, but the print magazine is released during the first week of each month and stories have to be wrapped up six weeks earlier. Judy Murray suggested to call her directly to increase chances of getting a story accepted. E&P also mentioned the possibility of using company blog posts on the E&P homepage.

The energy journalists discussed the hot topics for the second half of 2011. Almost every reporter said: Shale/unconventional gas and regulatory issues.

However, each publication discussed handling the topics slightly differently:

• HBJ would focus on how businesses make money through shale.
• World Oil wants shale stories and stories regarding regulatory compliance in deepwater.
• Hart’s E&P is delving into other unconventional gas including oil sands, tight gas, and heavy oil.
• Drilling Contractor is interested in shale stories and reminded the audience that their stories were written for operators, not just for drilling contractors.
• Bisnow is interested in the key people behind the shale industry

The audience asked how the publications handle an energy crisis issue. Here is what two editors had to say:

• David Cohen mentioned that a controversial internal issue might be included in a columns or reports section, such as the Shale Energy Report.
• Judy Murray noted the magazine would not print a controversial story, but would welcome the company to post an unedited blog or article for the magazine’s weekly e-newsletter.

A special thanks to our clients for attending and to PRSA for allowing us to sponsor!

Thank you,

Angelica Nelson