Peter Bart: Hollywood’s Gridlock, Corporate Cuts Take Toll On PR Operatives
deadline.com“I know how to change bad news into good news,” Edward L. Bernays, the father of public relations, used to boast. Since he was a nephew of Sigmund Freud, I wonder how he’d find a positive mind-set among today’s practitioners of his craft.
During these times of gridlock, PR reps are widely forbidden from hustling the wares of their star clients. Further, free-spending corporate clients, once focused on image building, are now running for cover and laying off PR teams.
Sign of the times: The mega-publicized company WeWork that raised billions and helped foster its own TV profile has told its PR reps to confirm its last rites.
PR firms, like talent agencies, are laying off staff and canceling leases. Giant companies like Disney and Comcast confront a media landscape that has quickly turned from benign to belligerent.
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