There are some things that PR can’t fix

Steve Lebsock, the former Democratic representative of Thornton, was formally expelled from the legislature on March 2 for sexual harassment. Five women claimed that Lebsock harassed, intimidated or made unwanted sexual advances toward them. During his testimony at the Colorado Capitol, Lebsock claimed he should have hired a PR firm to help.

With all due respect to former Rep. Lebsock, public relations counsel is not the answer to his trouble.

PR cannot overcome a lack of ethics. Because an independent investigator found the claims against him credible, it would be difficult for a PR counselor to help him salvage his reputation. A reputable professional would likely suggest that Lebsock apologize, resign and seek help, which is unlikely the response he’d be hoping for.

While people might be confused about what public relations professionals do, let me be clear about what we don’t do:

A reputable PR professional would never lie or manipulate information.

We don’t repeat or give credence to “alternative facts.” We don’t tell white lies for our clients or employers. We don’t risk the trust we’ve earned for ourselves and our clients by trying to preserve the reputation of a business or person who is unwilling to admit mistakes and behave ethically.

In fact, the industry’s governing association, the Public Relations Society of America, requires its members to adhere to the society’s code of ethics, which explicitly states in its guidelines that a member shall:

Be honest and accurate in all communications.

Preserve the integrity of the process of communication.

Act promptly to correct erroneous communications for which the practitioner is responsible.

Rather than fix a damaged reputation or make bad consequences disappear, the job of a good PR pro is to help the individuals and organizations they serve be seen in the most favorable light possible. Framing — properly articulating and explaining a situation — is far different than lying. Using principles of good communications, including honesty, accuracy, empathy, thoroughness and clarity, has helped many companies manage a crisis and come out the other side. But when you call examples of success stories to mind, they nearly always involve apologies rather than excuses, and solutions rather than business as usual.

For example, in 1982, Tylenol was laced with cyanide, killing seven people. A textbook case of crisis communications, the company was able to recover by its quick and dramatic response — pulling 31 million bottles of Tylenol off the shelf and temporarily ceasing production and advertising of its products.

Odwalla also experienced a significant crisis when a child tragically died from its unpasteurized juice. Guided by PR counseling from local firm Johnston Wells, where I was employed at the time (though not on the Odwalla team), the company accepted responsibility, pulled millions of dollars in products, and implemented an aggressive media plan to inform consumers.

In short, the public looks more favorably on someone who admits their mistake and takes steps to make reparation than on someone continuing to deny an issue despite strong evidence to the contrary. Those of us practicing PR understand this.

During a time when public trust for institutions such as journalism and government runs high, PR can be an important conduit for enriching public understanding. Serving as the vehicle for delivering truth, good communications can change the world.

Opining about truth, a commentary in the Christian Science Monitor in May 2017 titled “Why is truth so important to us?” puts it this way: “Not surprisingly, the more people hold fast to their innate devotion to honesty and truth, the more society finds its way. The path of unity, cooperation, and progress gets clearer.”

I can get behind a little unity, cooperation and progress.