What is truly bad PR?

Yesterday (June 8, 2004), I came across the worst PR rep of all time.

Having worked in the PR department of a book publisher for 3 years, I know how the game works. You give the media free access to your event (or whatever), and they write nice things about you and take pretty pictures, in turn promoting your cause to their readership. It's a real you-rub-my-back-and-I-rub-yours kind of relationship. Both sides need eachother to do their jobs, and usually the nicer the relationship, the better for both parties.

Not so apparently with the Sisters Rodeo Association.

I called them yesterday to request a press pass for the rodeo this weekend, intending on shooting the event for The Bugle/Bend.com. Now I know The Bugle is not the New York Times, but not even a freelancer for a small publication deserves to be treated like this.

From the first minute, Cathy Williams, the PR rep for the Sister Rodeo, already had a very unpleasant tone in her voice. Right off the bat, she said I couldn't be in the arena, anywhere near the bucking chutes (where the riders saddle up), and only on the fence if I'd stay out of the way of viewers. Fine, I said. No problem. She insisted though that I fill out an application for the pass, and no, she couldn't email it, it had to be faxed. Fine, I said.

A couple of hours and some complications later (I don't have a fax, so I had it faxed to a fellow freelancer), I found out that the app consisted of the following: Name, Address, Date of Birth, Health insurance information and - get this - Social Security number.

Huh? What the heck? My SS#? What for?
Now in this day and age of widespread identity theft, the last thing I want to do is give some stranger my social security number. And for a ... press pass?? And how about that health insurance. To shoot pictures of cowboys, horses, and cows? Gimme a break.

So I omitted the info and sent the app back. Seconds later, Cathy called me back, saying she couldn't give me a pass without the info. She insisted that it was too dangerous to be anywhere near the fence and she couldn't have someone from the media on the grounds without proper health insurance. Uhmmm.... which self-employed freelancer can afford to pay 300 bucks a month for health insurance, may I ask?

I also remembered that the good people from the Forest Service didn't ask me for proof of insurance when I signed up to be at the firelines this summer - they didn't seem to have a problem with the thought of me burning to a crisp at all. Instead, they simply gave me instructions and protective gear. Yeah, that'll work.

Now, I've been to the Sisters Rodeo - and that 7-foot, ultra-sturdy fence - last year. It's really not a health threat to be anywhere near it. A bull would have to virtually leap over it to do any harm to a person on the other side. So what gives?

I asked for at least a comp on one of their $8 seats, so I could shoot from the stands - but she gave me a flat-out "NO, you have to BUY a ticket, if you want to be there".

So it seems that Cathy is in the wrong job. She has violated every unwritten rule of PR - which mainly consists of "Thou shalt not piss off the press". Yes, those are the very people that justify you even *having* the job, Cathy ...

But the bottom line is: I love the rodeo. I had a great time last year shooting the event. So I just might pay the money and go for fun.

But I'll be damned if I have the newspaper print any of the images to promote the Sisters Rodeo.