"Transparency" and Public Relations

A new article by Eric Webber in Advertising Age got me thinking about the trend toward "transparency" in organizations, using tools like blogs, etc. I tend to champion new media and technologies and couple that with the belief that organizations and persons shouldn't try to hide information - or themselves - from the public.

And I'm a strong advocate of Public Relations as a two-way function/channel to facilitate open communication between an organization and the public.

Openness doesn't seem to be a characteristic of most organizations and managers I've seen, and that's disappointing - and potentially detrimental for the organization in the long run. Sure, there are times when strategic information needs to be confidential. But most of the time open and proactive communication will benefit organizations and individuals, helping build public trust and support.

Bad news will get out one way or another, and with today's bloggers, podcasters and video bloggers, the public's voice is stronger than ever.

Jim