I thought some of you might appreciate this. . .
 
Here is the annual (1996) PR Blunders List, compiled by Fineman
Associates Public Relations in San Francisco.  I'm not sure whether a
1997 list has been published yet.
 
1. America West Airlines: In October, an America West flight was in the
air when it turned back to pick up the  California Angels baseball team,
whose charter flight had been grounded. At first, passengers were
excited to share their plane with baseball stars. That was before they
were dumped to give the team the plane all to itself. Irate passengers
had to reschedule their flights.
 
2. R.J. Reynolds chairman Charles Harper: At RJR's annual meeting in
Winston-Salem, the chairman was asked about children and second-hand
smoke. Said Harper: If children don't like to be in a smoky room,
they'll leave. When told infants can't leave, he said, ``At some point,
they will learn to crawl.''
 
3. New York radio station WPYX: As a promotion, the radio station holds
an Ugliest Bride contest. Last August, the station decided to add a new,
exciting twist and aired the bride's full name and place of employment.
She sued for $300,000.
 
4. Southwest Elementary School, Lexington, N.C.: School had just begun
when the bureaucrats of correctitude  suspended first-grader Johnathan
Prevette for kissing a girl classmate. The principal and the school
board agreed this was sexual harassment. That notion made Lexington a
laughing stock worldwide. Johnathan missed his class ice cream party,
sitting out an in-school suspension.
 
5. Joe Klein, Newsweek reporter and anonymous author: Klein lied to
fellow journalists and the public when he denied writing Primary Colors.
After being exposed by The Washington Post, all he could say was, ``It's
not easy not telling the truth.'' He was fired.
 
6. Marge Schott, owner of the Cincinnati Reds: On opening day, the Reds'
home game was postponed after umpire John McSherry collapsed and died of
a heart attack in the first inning. A disappointed Schott was irate when
the game was called and wanted to know, ``Why can't they play with just
two umpires?''
 
7. Mitsubishi Motors: Sued by the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission last spring for failing to address hundreds of allegations of
sexual harassment, Mitsubishi threatened employees with a daylong
workshop if they didn't go out and picket the EEOC office.
 
8. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers: Last summer,
the word got out that ASCAP sent out a letter to the Girl and Boy Scouts
telling them they'd have to pay for the right to sing some of those
copyrighted campfire songs.
 
9. Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.: Nationwide offered two Mercedes and
a trip for two around the world to the creator of the best slogan for
one of its regional conventions. When David Mears won, he was told the
prizes were just a joke. Mears sued and won.
 
10. Baseball player Roberto Alomar: Tacky, tacky, tacky. After the
Baltimore Oriole spat in the face of an umpire during an argument, he
explained that the umpire hadn't been thinking clearly since the death
of his son three years earlier.
 
Jon
--
Jon C. Lundberg
The Corporate Image, Inc.
"What people think depends on what they hear, see or read."
http://www.corporatepr.com/