In a recent letter to the New York Times, Deborah Radman, chairwoman, Counselors Academy, Public Relations Society of America, defends ghost writing by PR people as simply providing professional help to clients, including government scientists.
“Often researchers, subject-matter experts, corporate executives and government officials are not trained in writing for lay audiences, the media or professional journals. Some who may be fine writers simply don’t have the time,” she wrote.
I’ve ghost-written for many dozens of clients over the years. And I think hiring someone who does write well is a good idea for an awful lot of executives. When ghosting gets dicey is when the writing is used not to tell the story, but to spin it, sanitize it, or rationalize it.
While I happen to agree with Ms. Radman on this issue, I think the PRSA Counselors Academy is an archaic, irrelevent, out-of-touch group that needs to join the real world in a hurry before their profession goes completely down the drain.
PRSA Defends Ghost Writing for Clients
BL Ochman | July 29, 2005 | Permanent Link | Comments (1) | TrackBack (
Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /home/gnp0fnhzxcgi/domains/whatsnextblog.com/html/wp/wp-content/themes/WNO2/single.php on line 32
0)
Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /home/gnp0fnhzxcgi/domains/whatsnextblog.com/html/wp/wp-content/themes/WNO2/single.php on line 32
0)
I’ve done my share of ghost-writing for PR and ad companies, as well as an “autobiography” destined for Random House but whose “author” died before the book was finished.
I have no problem doing that. I have no problem being hired to write features for specific clients and turning it in as a Press Release with my byline, either. In my experience, since I was contracting, the latter proved more successful, but both worked.
As a friend once said, write well, collect your check, and never read what’s printed. LOL