Wiki Scanner Shows That PR People Should Be Honest

Adweek talks about the Wiki Scanner, created by a California Institute of Technology graduate student studying computer science, the scanner can trace an edited Wiki entry to the Internet protocol address of the computer network where the editing change originated.

 

Someone with an e-mail address at Wal-Mart changed "Wages at Wal-Mart are about 20 percent less than other retail stores" to "The average wage at Wal-Mart is almost double the federal minimum wage."

 

Of course, I find the article interesting, but I also find the statement "should be honest" ridiculous.  PR People are not hired for their honesty, and never will be--if you want to be honest--be a priest, or a teacher, or another profession where people get paid to tell the truth.  But when it comes to PR, spin, selective information, and yes, sometimes even lying is required.

 

--Chester Lee