Friday, August 14, 2009

Insurance Playing Dirty PR

When studying public relations, students are taught how to "morally" practice in the field. PR practitioners are often stereotypically deemed "spin doctors" by the public, and although we are taught much the opposite, a recent article by CNN didn't help our case. It also brings up the issue of when to know you're crossing the line.

Wendell Potter, a former vice president of corporate communications at the insurance provider Cigna, speaks to CNN in this article about the "dirty tricks" used to manipulate public opinion.

"Words matter, and the insurance industry is a master at linguistics and using the hot words, buzzwords, buzz expressions that they know will get people upset," says Potter.

Read more of Potter's experience fighting between his moral obligation to practice truthfully and the duties of his job, here.

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