This really is too much...

There are times when I despair of my professional association the CIPR.  Awarding London Mayoral candidate Boris Johnson with an award for excellent comunications is the latest.

Non-brits may not know much about our favourite political buffoon.  He's a bright chap who edits the conservative political journal the Spectator and is a Member of Parliament.  Boris can always be counted upon for a witty bon mot and we've all sniggered at his sideswipes at the more outlandish examples of political correctness. 

However, he does often go too far.  I imagine a lot of black people haven't seen the funny side of his quaint language at times and on more than one occasion he has stupidly gone too far and been forced to apologise in public.  The people of Liverpool are still smarting from his comments about them.

And as a candidate for the post of London Mayor his comments about communications professionals make the CIPR's decision to honour him seem like an odd choice.  He recently made some wild claims about the number of professional involved in communications on behalf of the greater London authority and the Mayor's office.  His point was less about over-staffing but more about the inappropriateness of employing communications professionals at all.

Given that a public body can achieve a great deal through public information and education it was a cheap remark that played on widespread misunderstandings about the role of communicators in modern society.

And hey presto - the CIPR goes and honours him! 

Result?  Howls of protest... puzzlement...

I'll admit to not liking Johnson's politics but I have no objection to the CIPR honouring political figures.  Indeed the past honour to my old boss Lord Bell was appropriate and wise.  And I'm proud that people like Desmond Tutu have been recognised as well

But surely the role of a professional body is to stand up for professionals and professional standards.  How can this square with celebrating a man who makes racism acceptable and rejoices in his denegration of our craft?

Maybe it was a great excuse for a jolly lunch.  Hoorah and pip pip!

Liam

Comments

[Lee Smith, Gatehouse Group]

Well said Liam. Sometimes the mind boggles at decisions like this - but how fascinating to have been a fly on the wall during that discussion! I am, like you, rather perplexed by the thinking that must, surely, have resulted in this odd choice.

Lee

[Simon Collister]

I think it is fair to say that based on Boris' contributions to communications/the comms industry vs. his political attraction to various people at the CIPR the reason for his accolade is pretty clear!

[Liam]

I noticed that PR Week has also had a dig about this as well...

The more I think about it the more I think Boris is in fact a terrible example of communications. He has poor judgement, doesn't think through his message and hopes that boyish charm will get him through a difficult situation...

oops - that could be me!

Liam

[Fiona Gibson]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that it is the choice of the person awarding? Boris is everything you've said and more. But I believe that Ken Livingstone has also been charged on (and suspended for?) some of the more serious allegations too - and he won the award in 2005. Perhaps the mistake is the CIPR allowing it to go under their banner rather than saying it's a personal choice...
And talking about the ridiculous, don't even get me started on Al Gore and the Nobel Peace Prize!

Fiona

[Liam]

Indeed Ken did get it - which was also an odd choice.

Maybe it's a question of what constitutes a 'good communicator'? Is it someone with a message or someone who can get people to understand that message and perhaps use the power of communication to bring about change...?

Liam

[Jeroen]

Don't underestimate BJ's notoriety with us non-Brits. He was one of my favourite laughing stocks on Have I Got News For You, I'll have you know.

Having said that, I have to agree with Liam: what on earth were they thinking?