I read with more than passing interest your March 30, 2005,
article by Katie Paine, "Why Can't PR Pros Follow Their Own Advice?
Tackling The Ketchum, Fleishman Scandals." While I will not attempt
to right all of the article's inaccuracies, I will address a few
that are so fundamentally off base as to cry out for
correction.
Contrary to assertions that our firm has been unwilling to
comment, one would be hard-pressed to find stories in which I was
not quoted. A call to virtually any journalist in Los Angeles who
has covered the story would have confirmed my constant availability
to them, including virtually every news organization in town having
my personal cell-phone number. I have also written op-eds for the
major regional newspapers and numerous PR trades.
The article claims, "Given the nature of the charges, the head
of the office accused of fraud was hardly the most effective
spokesperson...clearly using the head of the local office in this
case was inappropriate." Any careful examination of the facts will
show that I became the agency's spokesperson on L.A. issues a year
ago. As a regional president, I rapidly moved to place an entirely
new senior management team in the office. It is my responsibility
to make the changes and my responsibility to comment, which I have
done consistently.
And her advice, "Take action early to distance yourself as far
as possible from those accused," is hardly the way a responsible
employer would conduct itself.
From the beginning, we have said we are fully responsible for
any events that occurred in our L.A. office, and we have taken many
steps to ensure that such events could not occur again.
It is disappointing that Ms. Paine didn't contact us before
passing judgment. That, too, would seem to be a basic rule of
effective communications.
Richard Kline
Fleishman-Hillard Inc
Regional President & Senior Partner
General Manager - Los Angeles.
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