Biting Commentary
Take What They Give Us?
By Richard B. Barger, ABC, APR
Originally Posted
Updated
We'll take what they give us.
That's the conservative offensive philosophy of many college and pro football teams -– at least for risk-averse coaches who are trying to avoid game-losing mistakes.
Bull.
A Different Philosophy
CornerBarPRSM believes in the philosophy of the old Oakland Raiders: We'll take what we want!
There are plenty of "me too" zines and Web sites, a cacophony of places you can find "news" -– Dumbster, Nozzlewith & Croat just acquired the northwestern third of the media relations unit of Finkleworth Partners Ltd.; Burton Hoy Lammelyitz Crow wrested U.S. Home, Health, & Financial Products' ringworm suppressant account from Blinklittle & Co.
Yech.
I think we can manage to get by without telling you about this crap.
Plenty of places offer you poorly written, uninspired, insipid narrative -– I started to say "commentary," but most of what claims to be, isn't –- that has been homogenized and diluted to so far below inoffensive that "thoughtful" isn't even on the scale.
Working at those places must be like the Seventh Level of Hell; if much of the stuff we read had more bite or insight, it might rise all the way to bland.
No, we won’t very often be neutral. We have opinions about what makes good communications and good public relations and good media relations and good marketing. We'll stake out a bit of that territory; we'll tell you what's in our heads.
You won't always agree. We may even piss you off. That's fine.
Caution: Actual Thinking Going On
If we start some discussion, some dialog, some debate, ... well, that's a sign that thinking is going on. There could be worse outcomes than CornerBarPR inspiring some thinking in and about the profession.
We'll probably even engage in a little thinking ourselves.
And, although we're independent, we're not dumb. We are sufficiently interested in what the industry is doing to follow what some of the best sources -– and there are a handful of good ones -– are saying, to see what you might be exposed to elsewhere. We'll probably get some ideas from them ... as we hope they occasionally do from us.
But the "take what we want" philosophy allows us to stake out our own territory, to enter –- or to start -– the discussion from our own perspective, about what interests US and what we believe interests YOU.
When we're in the preachy mode, we'll talk about what we believe SHOULD interest you.
That means we can't stand still. As reasonably seasoned communicators, we know something about listening and evaluating and adjusting. This leads us to adopt a bit of football's "read and react" defensive philosophy.
Owning the Territory
We have some ideas about what CornerBarPR ought to be about, how it ought to function and approach issues. (There are folks who would call this our "vision," although we don't talk that way 'round here.) We’re going to stake out our own territory, or own approach.
But if we have the sense God gave a goose, we'll also listen –- and quickly adjust -– to the best of your ideas and suggestions, as you help us refine what we're doing. If your second visit to the CornerBarPR is exactly the same as the first, it'll be a pretty dull conversation.
We don't care what territory the others "give" us, but if you send us an idea, well, ... we'll react.
Then we'll take what we want.