You probably don’t think of the media using a PR department, but its quite common. Taken from a nice piece on the “bully” approach of Fox New’s PR department, here are some drilled down points about PR. Is your PR team guilty of any of these? :

* PR should never be the story. If you become the story, you’re doing something wrong. Go back and look at your tactics and figure out how to get yourself out of the news.
* PR is about positive relationship building. You should be building positive working relationships with the media, not simply to be an ass-kisser, but because such relationships will result in more favorable coverage of your organization and will earn you the benefit of the doubt when your organization is in trouble and needs friends in the media.
* While there are times when you need to go on the attack against a journalist who isn’t giving you a fair shake, that’s a tactic that you should rarely need to employ. You should always be searching for common ground and only going on the attack when all else has failed.
* “Do unto others…” This is kindergarten-level stuff — show the respect for others that you would want them to show to you. How in the world can Fox News expect to a get respectful treatment in the New York Times — the New York Times! — when it doesn’t treat Times reporters respectfully?