Truth Merchants: Public Relations and the Media

A daring and revelatory exploration of the increasingly blurred distinctions between public relations (PR) and ‘real' news as presented by journalists (media), Truth Merchants argues that since the public places greater trust in "news" information than they do in advertising material, the mission of PR has become to package their product to make it look like actual news. Drawing on interviews with both journalists and PR professionals to examine their differing approaches to the presentation of similar kinds of information, this video clearly shows the inherent dangers to the integrity of public information when filtered through the hands of cunning and calculating PR professionals. The PR industry's rule of thumb seems to be that "truth is subjective," with one interviewee pointing out that PR works best when it can show a private (i.e., corporate) interest to be a public good. A Canadian production, featuring Canadian locales, corporations, and PR professionals and journalists, the program raises an interesting question for American viewers. Namely, how many journalists and PR professionals operating in the United States, where PR and news are often totally indistinguishable, would be quite so open and honest about their own professions? Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (M. Rechel)