I read a WSJ article yesterday (Zookeeper Courted Danger to Attract Press and Visitors), about a zoo publicity guy who got bit by a Cobra, and also lost two fingers to a chimpanzee, all in the name of his craft.
It made me reflect on my career, and also consider the experiences of my colleagues regarding the following question: what is PR’s most dangerous game? How far have you gone in practicing PR – did you ever put yourself in harm’s way?
I am in tech, and the question brought to mind an article I had read, about the most dangerous gigs in the technology field – it seemed like a ridiculous question as you don’t normally relate high tech to high risk (at least in terms of physical safety, anyway). Sure enough, the article cited jobs that involved fixing undersea cables and climbing communication towers.
I am almost embarrassed to ask the question, as it is hard to even talk about danger in our field when you consider the risks that some of our counterparts on the media side take – e.g. the journalists that work in war zones and repressive countries, and the lives that have been endangered and lost as a result.
Looking back on my career in tech marketing and PR, it has been relatively safe – apart from the threat of being trampled at some publicity event, or suffering ill effects from too much (or bad) food and drink at industry mixers and trade shows, there really is not anything that interesting to report (and even that is not so interesting). But I am sure there must be some good stories out there! So please share if you have one.
