Hooray for The Spin Zone

What's the difference between how PR practitioners communicate and "spin?"

First consider this: Ben Stein's Everybody's Business column in the Sunday NY Times (Sept. 8, 07) Sunday Business Section, p. 1.

Stein is writing not as a (paid, professional) public relations practitioner today, but as a journalism with an opinion. That is, his objective is to argue a point -- to make a case. The case: that subprime loans (conventionally regarded as a crisis, a disaster, an awful thing because of "all" the mortgage defaults) has actually proven to be an essentially GOOD thing.

Why?

"It wasn't all bad. The subprime mortgage industry apparently helped some people either get into homes or stay in their homes. Yes, it was far from an unmixed good, as we have seen in vivid hues lately. But because of these mortgages, many thousands of American who would not otherwise have their own homes now have homes."

Of course, that is Stein's opinion. And there's nothing wrong with a journalist voicing such an opinion. Not everyone would agree -- in fact, that's the point: THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM IS THE OPPOSITE TAKE.

Is Stein's communcation act ethical? (I think so.) But would it be ethical if he were being paid to defend subprime loans by a subprime lending institution? I hardly think so! Unless he disclosed that he was being paid. Otherwise, he would be hiding contextual reality from his readers. (Oh -- so you're being PAID to say this! Well, there goes your credibility, Mr. Stein!)

But as far as we know, Stein is just opining because he genuinely believes what he's saying- - and that his point of view is INTERESTING because it is the opposite of "conventional wisdom," including all the reports published in the newspapers and blogged and broadcasted (that subprime loans are the Devil.)

Good writing sometimes takes a counter-intuitive point of view and of course defends it with logic and example.

Stein is doing what we professors want students to do -- to engage in CRITICAL THINKING -- thinking against the grain, thinking that questions the conventional wisdom. But to engage in effective critical thinking, it's a requirement to be familiar with RHETORIC (persuasion) and LOGIC, including the use of EVIDENCE to support your position. And of course your writing must be READABLE and essentially free enough of errors to avoid causing your readers to lose patience with you and discard your CREDIBILITY. (Same goes for the RHETORIC OF SPEAKING.)

No, "spin" is the pejorative (negative) term used to tar and feather public relations people, advertisers, columnists, talk-show hosts, politicians, lawyers and other professionals who traffic in PERSUASION for a living.

Plato -- that fervent enemy of rhetoricians (Sophists!) and spin -- would not only have cast out PR people and advertising executives. He would also wisely have barred POETS from holding seats of power in his republic. After all, poets are among the "worst" (best?) offenders: they're great at spin.

So no room in Plato Land for Shakespeare, much less Eminem or Fergie.

But without spin, would the world continue to whirl?



-- Robert E. Brown
Communications Dept.
Salem State College
Salem, MA 01970
rbrown@salemstate.edu