PR in Christmastime, all-year-round

Public Relations (PR) is a tricky affair.

I am not an expert in the field but people say, in layman’s view, that my PR is good.

In an ordinary perception, PR is being generally nice to practically anyone in the trade or in any circle.

Going complex, though, PR in the professional way, entails a lot of learnings and relearnings, adjustments, approaches and strategies.

When I was new in the entertainment beat, I was oriented of many PROs (Public Relations Officers) of all kinds.

Most of them were, and still are, basically,  publicists of individual celebrities, movie outfits, film projects, concerts, TV networks and shows, recordings etc. 

Outside the four walls of showbiz, though, there are also PROs of all types in  businesses or any human agencies.

Fundamentally, the main task of a PRO is to build and maintain a good public image of a person or an institution.

They write press releases, organize interviews or presscons, arrange meetings for their clients or speak on their behalf and other related job descriptions.

These duties and responsibilities might appear simple but in getting to the brass tacks, they become more laborious and complex.

And if the situation calls for it, PROs are also troubleshooters, shock absorbers, defenders of their employers/bosses albeit saving faces or spinning or ironing out kinks.

In showbiz, generally, PR has been reduced to corporate communications especially in big media companies.

There are just a few remaining independent and/or small accounts.

Business monopoly comes with the dominance of the giants even in adprom.

What makes me wonder all along is the convenient way of defining PR separately in showbiz from other social fields.

When I was field reporting, producing and doing my Voice-Over (VO) stories for “TV Patrol,” “Action 9” and other radio and TV broadcasts and covering and writing for the print media, most in the newsroom would say it’s okay for entertainment news– considered as “soft news”–to do PR works as promotion (read: acceptance of envelopes with “token of appreciation” in them) but not in “hard news” as if the standards, ethical and otherwise, of the two journalistic fields are opposing.

I also wonder why do we resort to “envelopmental journalism” when what journalists must do, generally, is fight for just wages for fellow practitioners vis-a-vis owners of media orgs.

We have the upperhand to uphold labor rights because of our supposed to be all-knowing traits for uncovering truths, i.e. laws, facts and figures etc. so that, ideally, workers’ benefits suffice and objective reporting reigns.

Of course, the culture of “pakimkim” (the giving of money to a newly baptized or confirmed child by a sponsor) has always been around since time immemorial.

What to do with it?

Live with it judiciously.

Yet in this day and age of relativity of truth, how can one determine what is “bribe” and what is “gift of genuine love” and generosity?.

Christmastime is mostly PR time when cash and in kind flow in droves.

Mediacons for the ten entries to the 49th Metro Manila Film Festival, namely Jesuits Communications’ “Gomburza,” Mentorque Productions’ “Mallari,” JG Productions’ “When I Met You in Tokyo,” Viva Films’ “Penduko,” The IdeaFirst Company’s “Becky and Badette,” Quantum Films’ “K(A)mpon,” Star Cinema’s “Rewind,” GMA Public Affairs’ “Firefly,” Cineko Productions’ “Family of 2” and BMC Films’ “Broken Hearts Trip,” mostly are reeking with Christmas gifts of all kinds so happy days are here again.

Ordinary days in showbiz is PR-driven.

PR is indeed a cycle all-year round.

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Binibining Pilipinas-Universe 1982 Maria Isabel Lopez flew in from the US recently to do an audio-visual project with Ronnie Lazaro and to attend the Christmas party of of the great stars of the 80s tomorrow at the Barangay Santo Domingo in Quezon City organized by the still pretty and gorgeous sexy actress Amanda Amores. The venue is under the auspices of the leadership of one of Amanda’s daughters, Michelle China Yu II, the Chairwoman of the barangay. Expected to grace the occasion are Vida Verde who will come all the way from Tumauini, Cristina Crisol from Pampanga, Isadora, Liz Alindogan, Carmi Martin, Jaclyn Jose, Karla Kalua, Joy Sumilang, Sylvia Sanchez, Maureen Mauricio, Myrna Castillo, Jsnice Jurado, among others.