You may have heard the old saying, "There's no such thing as bad publicity." Mmm. Really. Real quick-- what's your first impression when I mention Michael Jackson? Paris Hilton? If you had positive impressions, well, I'll pray for you. Most people will have negative. So the question then becomes--has bad publicity helped these people? The last time I checked Jackson was running out of money and places in the world that wanted him. Paris has money, sure. But is all her money going to buy her any respect or admiration?
I admit a lot of my colleagues disagree with me. They operate on the premise that any placement is good even if they have to bite, claw and scratch to get it. They believe a publicist's role is to simply get placements -- no matter how, now matter what. I simply don't subscribe to that notion. I recognize that I am often the first impression people have of my clients, and I can taint that impression quickly with my behavior. I believe in the power of relationships. I am accountable to my clients. But my ongoing relationships with the media are paramount. If I lose their trust or respect, I won't have any clients. Nor should I.
This is especially true when representing a Christian artist or author. I may be the very first impression that the media has of someone. And if that impression is ugly, rude, pushy, abrasive or any other character traits people often associate with publicists, then I have failed. When I represent someone, I am an extension of their ministry. And I take that seriously.
