2006年VOA标准英语-Public Relations Expert Urges Openness

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
21 March 2006
 
  
  
We live in an information age when it is often difficult to separate fact from fiction.  Public relations expert Torie Clarke has some advice for leaders who are tempted¹ to tailor the truth, a process known in the media world as "spin."  She says in a recent book called Lipstick² on a Pig that openness is the best way to get your message across.

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Torie Clarke honed her public relation skills as a spokeswoman for Senator John McCain, then worked for former President Bush's re-election campaign and was chief spokesperson for the Pentagon in the early years of the current administration.  Clarke continues her public relations work in private industry and is a commentator³ on the CNN cable network.

She says in government and business, there is always a temptation to neutralize⁴ your critics and shape the truth to come out looking good.  She says the effort seldom works and leaves public relations spokesmen and the officials they work for looking foolish. 

"When you think about information technologies and you think about the volume and velocity⁵ with which information rockets around the world, spin is irrelevant," she explained.  "Sometimes, especially in the public sector⁶, I think it is irresponsible.  And I think people should just try to put a big spotlight⁷ on what they are doing, and the good stuff will shine through, and the bad stuff will get cleaned up that much faster."

As former assistant secretary of defense⁸ for public relations, Ms. Clarke has been at the center of historic events.  She was responsible for getting out information from the Defense Department after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.  One attack targeted her own place of work, the Pentagon. 

She conceived the innovative⁹ program to imbed journalists inside military units for the Iraq invasion, which put reporters, and their readers, viewers and listeners, on the front lines.

Clarke says people are becoming smarter consumers of information and can distinguish substance from rhetoric¹⁰.  She says corporate¹¹ and government leaders, when faced with negative news, should take the initiative in getting their message out.

"First and foremost, tell your own story, because nobody else is going to," she said.  "Or they might and they do not like you and they are a critic of yours and they are not going to do a very good job of it.  Two, have a lot of people telling your story."

She says in our media age, a single spokesman is seldom effective.

"And finally, probably most importantly, when you make a mistake, and you will, everybody does, everybody has problems and challenges, when you make a mistake, confess it, stand up and say, 'I got it wrong.  Here is how it happened.  Here is what I'm doing to fix it.'  It is the right thing to do and it is so much more practical," she added.

We live in a time of global news networks and a continuous flow of information.  Clarke says too many people in the public and private sectors¹² do not yet understand the simple ground rules of the information age.

"I do not think it is that complex," she explained.  "And I think the best advocacy you can put forward for your organization is to be as truthful¹³, as honest, as up-front, as transparent¹⁴ as possible.  I think over the long haul that is going to serve you best.  There might be some short-term gains by really spinning something very artfully, but I think it is a short-term gain."

She admits the modern flood of information presents challenges.  The Internet, for example, mixes opinion with fact, and sometimes fantasy, in web logs, known as blogs.  She says the volume of information, some of it questionable¹⁵, makes some people uncomfortable.

"I know plenty of people who bemoan¹⁶ the explosion of bloggers and say, 'Oh my God.  You have got these millions of people out there saying things, doing things and some are credible¹⁷ and some are not,'" she noted¹⁸.  "I love the fact that they are engaged.  I love the very fact that they are engaged in this wonderfully tumultuous, open and free society that we have."

With the explosion of information in the modern world, she says industry and government must own up to their mistakes and level with the public.  As she says in her new book, Lipstick on a Pig, no matter how you dress it up, a pig is still a pig and there is no sense pretending otherwise.
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1 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

2 lipstick   

n.口红，唇膏

参考例句：

• Taking out her lipstick,she began to paint her lips.她拿出口红，开始往嘴唇上抹。
• Lipstick and hair conditioner are cosmetics.口红和护发素都是化妆品。

3 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

4 neutralize   

v.使失效、抵消，使中和

参考例句：

• Nothing could neutralize its good effects.没有什么能抵消它所产生的好影响。
• Acids neutralize alkalis and vice versa.酸能使碱中和碱，亦能使酸中和。

5 velocity   

n.速度，速率

参考例句：

• Einstein's theory links energy with mass and velocity of light.爱因斯坦的理论把能量同质量和光速联系起来。
• The velocity of light is about 300000 kilometres per second.光速约为每秒300000公里。

6 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

7 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

8 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

9 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

10 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

11 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

12 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 truthful   

adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的

参考例句：

• You can count on him for a truthful report of the accident.你放心，他会对事故作出如实的报告的。
• I don't think you are being entirely truthful.我认为你并没全讲真话。

14 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

15 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

16 bemoan   

v.悲叹，哀泣，痛哭；惋惜，不满于

参考例句：

• Purists bemoan the corruption of the language.主张语文纯正的人哀叹语言趋于不纯。
• Don't bemoan anything or anyone that you need to leave behind.不要再去抱怨那些你本该忘记的人或事。

17 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

18 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。