Celebrity PR

Celebrity PR refers to the media management of high profile personalities such as actors and musicians. The usual controversies handled by celebrity PR advisers include claims of drug use, sex or police investigations. Occasionally it can involve corporate scandals such as with Martha Stewart in the U.S.

Neil Reading, the managing director of Neil Reading PR told PR Week that "inevitably, if the tabloids have a great story, then they will run it. But if you have excellent relationships with the editors and senior executives, then you can do deals to dilute some of the damage in some way."

"There are situations where you can agree to help with parts 'a' and 'b' of a story, but only if they leave out part 'c'," he told PR Week. Other tactics, PR Week's Mary Cowlett noted, can include "offering up the celebrity 'my story in my words' confession, and trying to gain copy and picture approval wherever possible."

Other SourceWatch resources

 * LCO
 * Lizzie Grubman