Who is a spin doctor?

Manipulating facts and figures to make one look good is one of the pitfalls of being in public relations. Reema Saffarini talks to an expert on practising PR minus the spin.

There are people in this world who have a knack for twisting words and turning statements and facts around. They are naturals at it and they do it with so much ease you just fall for what they say.

Some actually take this "gift", make it their profession and become "spin doctors". And no, this does not require six years of sleepless nights studying human anatomy and brain functions. You just need to learn the principles and rules of public relations and then break them!

In the field of public relations, spin is not really the positive term one would want his or her name associated with. PR officers are generally accused of presenting facts in "creative and imaginative" ways.

However, spin doctors are blamed for manipulating facts and figures, of being deceptive and heavily biased.
Many have perfected this art as television and radio hosts, speechwriters, campaign directors, politicians and public relations practitioners.

But what exactly makes one?

According to Bill Rylance, president and CEO of Burson-Marsteller, Asia Pacific and the Middle East — a global public relations company — spin doctors are people who have more "

Negative connotations

"They focus on imagery and providing perceptions that are not grounded in absolute reality," he said.

According to Rylance a spin doctor is an "unfortunate term". It refers to individuals who exist in almost every profession and have approaches and ideas that are "a little more flexible".

He said: "If we want to talk about the best public relations practices, this will involve integrity, transparency and reality. However, spin is based on imagery, which spinners make sure seeps into reality. This, however, is short-lived and is not successful."

Words vs actions

Spin is all about what you say, but public relations is about what you do. "In PR there is always that talk about reputation. What makes a difference is what you do, not what you say," he said.

As a professional public relations practitioner, one must be "open minded, inquisitive, have a healthy respect for others' opinions, have a passion for the truth, commitment to helping the company or government they represent to engage and connect with people, understand what makes news and have journalistic integrity."

'Exciting times'

As advice for those interested in entering the field of PR, Rylance said that it is important for students to research and get to know more about the field.

"Also, go for internships and experience. You learn more doing the actual work," he said.

Rylance added that public relations is one of the most important fields nowadays. He said: "These are exciting times. The field has never been as relevant as today."

What is public relations?

It is the art of managing communication between an organisation and its target audience to build, manage and sustain an accurate image. However, the industry is also widely criticised for its willingness to lie and deceive the public for the good of the companies it represents.

What is spin?

In public relations, spin has come to take on a negative connotation that signifies lending a certain slant to facts and figures to suit a situation and make it work in your favour. It involves a certain amount of manipulation of situations. Many politicians are thought to have spin doctors to help them bolster their image.

How does a spin doctor work?

Through a selective presentation of facts and figures.

Using euphemisms and phrases to get around situations.