Public Relations

I think a lot of so called PR experts and Spin Doctors are really dropping the ball so I've decided to take it upon myself to give them some hints.

First I want to take on The Experience Music Project. It's a museum and even though it's a music and, now, science fiction museum I believe it should still be run like any other meuseum. It should have benefits and raise money all the same ways that the Metropolitan Meuseum of Art, or the SAM or the Chicago Art Institue Meuseum do. It may seem like a management problem and it is to an extent, but it's more a problem of public perception, I think. People think that EMP is Paul Allen's pet project, which it was and he spent huge amounts of his own money getting it up and running. Now that it is up an running though, people need to be disavowed of the notion that it's a business venture or even a billionaire's personal investment. Last I heard it was losing money like crazy and cutting back (again) on it's open hours and laying people off, which makes sense since it doesn't have a lot of money coming in. It can't be expected to survive off of memeberships and the cost of admission. Funds need to be raised, and given the subject matter of what's on display there you would think it wouldn't be difficult to get support from the rich and famous in many capacities...benefit concerts come to mind, or since there already taking donations from rock stars for exhibits they could have charity auctions of rock 'n' roll pariphenilia, for starters. I think any decent PR person should be able to get the public opinion in line with the fact that EMP is a museum and should be treated like one and run like one. The burden of maintaining EMP shouldn't fall on one individual or company. It shouldn't be expected to be profitable and I think people will understand that if the comparison were made publicly between EMP and any other meuseums.

George W. Bush's spin doctors are laying down on the job as well. I'm not a fan of GWB, in fact I think it's ridiculous, almost funny if it weren't so sad, how bad he is at his job. If he were an executive in the private sector his stock holders and/or board of directors would be demanding his resignation. Not to mention which he's been violating international law left and right and will most likely never be held accountable for it. However, about a month ago the administration did something right. The University of Washington was given a $2 Million dollar grant to help Afghanistan rebuild its legal system. While the invasions of both Afghanistan and Iraq were relatively smooth as invasions go, the rebuilding efforts have been so poorly handled it's hard to imagine anything could go right. Well, this is something they're doing right and I had to read about it on the Local News page in the Seatle Times. If Afghanistan is able to rebuild its legal system it will go a long way towards reginaing its stability as a nation. Having a viable legal system is pretty integral to a stable society and the State Department actually did something to help Afghanistan on the road towards stability. GWB and his administration are fantastic at evading hard questions by changing the subject, which pretty much doesn't fool anyone. I don't understand why they don't change the subject to the few things they are doing right.