With the federal government shutdown and its never-ending ripple effect on everything from the global economy to the corner store, I began to wonder what would happen if the PR field were to experience a similar “shutdown.” What ripple effects would result? Who would be to blame? When would it end?
There are a few (tongue-in-cheek) certainties in this scenario:
Reporters would be on their own to find sources. There would be no responses to HARO queries, no middle man to arrange interviews, and no story ideas brought to light. The inboxes of reporters around the world would be eerily empty. Their inability to find, or gain access to, experts who could give a voice to their stories would set the journalism field up for failure, thus creating a domino effect.
The rumor mill would run wild. Utter communications chaos would surely follow the flurry of uncorrected, unanswered statements and accusations. No one to confirm, fact check, or go on the record would purvey mass speculation. The Onion could become a trusted media outlet. This domino effect could be catastrophic, crippling the reputation of anyone, any business, any country.
Social Media would go dark. With no one left to man the Twitter handles, Facebook pages, Pinterest boards and other social media channels of many businesses, brands would be forced to revert to the pre-digital, one-way communication era of years past. Customers’ voices would not be heard (at least not instantaneously). Engagement and customer service would decline, along with sales.
A world without PR would be a scary place, indeed. Let’s hope this frightful scenario never plays out.