I was having lunch with an old friend from radio days recently and she asked me what I would do if I were in charge of public relations for BP. She was the fifth person to pose that question to me and I’m sure it’s a question that many of my colleagues in the industry have heard as well. I’ve also got a feeling if you ask ten PR people that question, you’ll get ten different answers. Maybe there will be similarities in the...

Happy Earth Day! No doubt you’ve already heard or seen at least one news story about today’s 40th anniversary of the start of the environmental movement. For many of us, it’s hard to imagine just how different things were on Earth Day 1970. No Environmental Protection Agency, and no Clean Air or Clean Water Acts, either. No recycling bins. No Endangered Species Act. Many cities – including Atlanta — had no mass transit. But...

The company is not scheduling regular meetings with elected officials and regulators? Community outreach initiatives have not been developed to build local support for the project? And finally, the media has not been briefed on the proposed development – and is not receiving regular updates when applicable? If any of the three things mentioned above are happening right now, it might be time to part ways with your PR firm. If not, the...