Association--of PR execs, no less--boycotts newsletter critical of its activities.A basic tenet of media relations is to keep open channels of communication--even if those channels are full of turbulence--but the Public Relations Society of America The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), based in New York City, is the world's largest organization for public relations professionals. The organization has more than 30,000 professional and student members, and is organized into 112 chapters nationwide. has chosen to ignore that advice in boycotting longtime PRSA PRSA Public Relations Society of America PRSA Personal Retirement Savings Account PRSA Puerto Rican Student Association PRSA Puerto Rican Studies Association PRSA Park and Recreation Service Area PRSA President of the Royal Scottish Academy watchdog Jack O'Dwyer's Newsletter, "The Inside News of Public Relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most ." In April, PRSA's board voted not to deal with O'Dwyer any longer because of "the personal and professional indignities, abuse, beratement, denigration den·i·grate tr.v. den·i·grat·ed, den·i·grat·ing, den·i·grates 1. To attack the character or reputation of; speak ill of; defame. 2. and other incivilities" that he "heaps on" PRSA volunteers, staffers, and elected officers. For years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time 1968-founded newsletter has been a thorn in the side of PRSA. O'Dwyer headed a group of authors and publishers who claimed the Society had, without permission, used their copyrighted materials in "information packets" which it sold to members. PRSA ignored their claims for restitution (NL/NL 2/13/98). Two of the authors quit the Society in protest. More recently, O'Dwyer has criticized PRSA for a number of its actions, including its refusal to fully disclose its financial records. O'Dwyer has extensively covered the boycott both in his newsletter and on his web site. Twenty leading PR practitioners have gone on record siding with O'Dwyer. One called the boycott "totally unacceptable, juvenile and arrogant." Another said it was "ill-advised because the newsletter performs a valuable watchdog role." Another accused the entire PRSA board of ethics violations because of the boycott. At least one has resigned from PRSA. O'Dwyer wrote in his June 30 issue: "PRSA has been trying to demonize de·mon·ize tr.v. de·mon·ized, de·mon·iz·ing, de·mon·iz·es 1. To turn into or as if into a demon. 2. To possess by or as if by a demon. 3. me since the mid-1980's with about as much success as its accreditation program. It cannot correct any PRSA items in this NL nor say what it wants added. It should give up its belief in demons Demons See also devil; evil; ghosts; hell; spirits and spiritualism. ademonist one who denies the existence of the devil or demons. bogyism, bogeyism recognition of the existence of demons and goblins. and put its 1998 audit on the PRSA web site." This month, the controversy escalated when O'Dwyer reported "an open secret" that PRSA's chairman of the board and one of the female directors "have a special relationship" which is "leading to favoritism." The chairman wrote O'Dwyer a copyrighted letter accusing him of haranguing staff members, "disgraceful and sordid actions," and "desperate malice." He also wrote that "many other members have close relationships." O'Dwyer responded that the letter "fails to take up any of the substantive questions I have put to the Society, including questions about its finances." |
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