“You want public relations, I’ll give you public relationsGAAHHHHH”
In your job, at one time or another, you’ve probably sent an email that infuriated you, and hammered out a reply that really captured your rage and disappointment.
But you didn’t send it. Of course you didn’t. That would be madness. Instead, after a moment of reflection, you took a deep breath and edited out the vitriol until you ended up with something more measurable.
Unless you’re the public relations manager at a particular major US law firm.
Last week RollOnFriday asked this PR, let’s call him ‘Mr Angry’, why we didn’t get a press release until after other outlets had received the firm’s news.
You’d think a PR manager would be especially alive to the bad optics of sending an international email. Apparently not.
“Are you serious?” replied the PR. “Stop your whining and do your job. You seem to have no idea what’s actually happening… Everyone else is writing while you’re staring at your scream [sic] and barking. Pathetic.”
An unusual on-the-record statement for a white-shoe firm.
Doubtless quite a few PRs had wanted to say the same thing to ROF on occasion, but had nowhere to swallow it. If you’re one of them, hopefully Mr A’s unrestrained approach has provided some cathartic relief.
Needless to say, his colleagues on both sides of the pond were a little surprised by his forthright style and had done quite a lot of running around to clean up the mess. They may even have written him emails which, in their first drafts at least, rivaled his own.
Mr Angry’s outburst gives SEC Newgate’s wild accusations regarding sadomasochism a run for their money. If you’ve sent a howitzer, ping it on to ROF.