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2004 Legends Luncheon

More Than 200 Years of PR Experience Featured at Annual Legends Luncheon

The highly anticipated annual Legends Luncheon on Monday, Oct. 25, at the 2004 PRSA International Conference, honored the PR leaders who have refined and defined the profession.

The luncheon featured a special master of ceremonies, nine-time Emmy Award-winner Al Roker, co-host of NBC’s “Today” show, who was quick with a quip. When acknowledging members of the College of Fellows, he joked: “Do you guys have a football team?”

Luncheon highlights included the awarding of the Patrick Jackson Award for Distinguished Service to PRSA to James E. Lukaszewski, APR, Fellow PRSA, and the 2004 Gold Anvil to Thomas W. Hoog, Fellow PRSA. In addition, winners of PRSA’s Public Relations Professional of the Year Award, Brad Burns, senior vice president of public relations, and Grace Trent, chief of staff and senior vice president of communications, of MCI, were recognized. They were previously honored on June 3 during the Silver Anvil Awards ceremony.

In his acceptance, Lukaszewski characterized Jackson as “one of the most memorable men you’d ever come across.” He also thanked the Society for giving him “audience after audience” and summed up his philosophy: “To serve others we have to serve from others’ perspectives.”

Hoog cited Martin Luther King Jr.: “Everybody can be great because everyone can serve.” Thanking his mentors, he issued three challenges to the Legends audience:

  • “You’ll be measured not by what you’ve gained, but by what you have given.”
  • “Don’t go it alone.”
  • “Live your life for others.”

Betsy Plank, APR, Fellow PRSA, principal, Betsy Plank Public Relations, Chicago, served as the moderator of the Legends Luncheon panel entitled, “Learning from the Legends: Insights and Inspiration.” According to Plank, the panel participants represented more than 200 years of PR experience.

The distinguished panelists were: Ray Durazo, APR, Fellow PRSA, president, Durazo Communications, Inc., Los Angeles; Helen I. Ostrowski, APR, Global CEO, Porter Novelli International, New York; Sunshine Overkamp, APR, Fellow PRSA, chairman, Overkamp Overkamp-Smith, Alexandria,Va.; and Howard Rubenstein, president, Rubenstein Associates, New York.

The panel addressed numerous topics, including:

The 2004 presidential campaign:
Said Rubenstein: “We’ve reached new depths. And the sad part is [the public] will blame the PR professional for the depths.” Durazo concurred. “I usually try to point out to people who question public relations and question the ethics of public relations that what we see in political campaigns is not typical of the work we do in the profession,” Durazo said. “The important thing for all of us as PR professionals is to separate ourselves from that kind of communication and hold our heads high and remember that we do provide a valuable public service.” Given the extent of the finger-pointing and mudslinging of the 2004 campaign, Ostrowski said, “Maybe there’s nowhere to go but up?”

There were thoughtful responses to the expansion of technology and the resulting explosion of communications:
“I don’t think this is about technology. Technology continues to advance,” Durazo said. “The real story for PR practitioners is that information is coming at the public faster and from more sources.” The old process of putting together policy statements takes too long now, Durazo said. “In today’s world, that statement becomes irrelevant. It is no longer news. Communicators will have to learn to operate at lightning speed,” he continued.

According to Rubenstein, one of the problems with the Internet is that there’s no one screening what’s posted on various Web sites. Compounding this, the major media often pick up news stories from unsubstantiated claims found on the Internet. He cited the recent example of online reports that James Murdoch, son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, was killed in a car accident on Oct. 23. “It was not true. Before we could straighten it out, it was all over the world,” Rubenstein said.

Ostrowski, meanwhile, discussed online communications. “People will say things in an e-mail that they would never say to someone’s face,” she said. “And if you think about the level of discourse that we’ve sunk to in this country, you have to look at what we’re doing to create dialogue, which is at the heart of what we ought to be doing. Technology is really getting in the way of that.” Several panelists suggested that instead of drafting an e-mail, PR professionals should pick up the phone and call, or, when in the office, speak to the recipient in person.

Trust:
All of the panelists pointed out that trust is not a result of public relations. As Overkemp said, “Trust is not about public relations -- trust is about what you do. Trust is who you are, what you do, what your policies are.” Durazo agreed. “It has been said that trust is not given, trust is earned. Often times, PR people are called upon to put a positive face on something that really doesn’t merit a positive face,” he said. “One of the most valuable services that we can offer our clients, our bosses, is to give them a healthy dose of reality. It’s a difficult and risky thing to do. You can lose your job over it. You can lose a client over it. But, at some point, we as PR people have to draw a line in the sand, and say that we will not cross this line. If we are asked to cross that line, we will refuse. When we are willing to do that, we will finally have taken our place in American business management.”