The role of a Press Officer for any organisation is actually very simple.
Keep bad news out and put news in.
The Press Officer or “spin doctor” has become an increasingly influential and vital figure for major organisations, especially in the age of the constant news cycle.
As ever in life people usually mess up when they forget their core function and go off on one.
The following comments are attributed to Strathclyde Assistant Chief Constable Campbell Corrigan in a minuted meeting yesterday with two representatives from the Affiliation of registered Celtic supporters clubs.
“On the subject of relations between large elements of Celtic support and the police CC accepted that there had been a breakdown in trust following a series of anti-Celtic briefings given by the Communications Officer at Strathclyde Police. It was pointed out and accepted that the journalist and the tabloid concerned were known to have an anti-Celtic agenda. CC confirmed that future briefings from police would need a different approach and that Communications Officer would no longer be doing that function and that Celtic PR Dept. would be involved. CC accepted that these events had been damaging to police.”
It is a rule of journalism that you must never become the story.
It is also difficult for a spin doctor to spin something about themselves…
This is now a story about a spin doctor.