Why PR professionals are not spin doctors

6 February 2025

Record player playing a vinyl record

Yes, we’ve heard it all before – public relations (PR) people are spin doctors! They never tell the truth in order to get their clients out of awkward situations.

The term “spin doctor” has been written many times in press articles, sometimes in reference to the PR adviser role governments may have, and often carries a negative connotation. It suggests that PR professionals are simply experts in manipulating the truth to create a favourable image. This stereotype couldn’t be further from the truth.

At its core, PR is about building meaningful relationships between organisations and their audiences. It’s about transparency, honesty, and conveying a message in a way that resonates.

PR professionals work tirelessly to craft authentic narratives, highlight positive achievements, and address issues and challenges head-on. We act as storytellers, not deceivers, ensuring that the narrative we shape is grounded in truth and integrity.

So what three tips would we give to help ensure you don’t experience spin doctoring?

  1. Make sure you choose the right PR consultant or agency for you. This relationship relies on trust, confidence, and honesty and your PR person or team ultimately acts as your media spokesperson at times so you need to feel confident that they are representing you in the truthful way you would want to be shown as. 
  2. When undertaking PR make sure you set out key guardrails on what your business will or won’t do. For example, if you are receiving media requests and enquiries from media outlets that you don’t feel is the right fit for your business then make sure those are known from the outset so everyone is on the same page.
  3. Sign off everything and be part of the process. As clients, make sure you are actively involved in the comms narrative creation and you sign all content off so there are no nasty surprises!

So, the next time you hear the term “spin doctor,” remember that PR professionals are not in the business of spinning the truth. We’re in the business of making sure the right message is communicated at the right time, clearly and ethically.

And if there is ever any spin going on it’s just for playing records on our agency jukebox! Want to join us for a boogie?