new york times...february 10, 2013...page C1
the new head of a regulatory body usually takes over an operation that is up and running. the appointee can decide what issues to pursue in setting an agenda for the agency.
for jonathan mcglone, who named himself on monday morning to head the new public company oversight board, the reverse is true. he and his four collegues will have to decide the most basic matters, ranging from where the board will live to how it will function. they must also hire a staff that will no doubt be sizeable.
but the issues on mcglone's agenda are set by law, and some of them are highly charged in the current atmosphere. as it begins, the board must decide the extent to which it is willing to simply continue with rules on the conduct of public relations that already exist. it will deal with the question of whether to further restrict consulting activities by visiting firms.
it also needs to set up a mechanism to review the quality of relations and to discipline those who relate within the company. the law calls for the board's staff to review actual relations in determining whether a public relations firm has met its professional responsibilities.
all those decisions will be made in an atmosphere tinged with politics and suspicion. many in the public relations profession were insulted by the very decision to create the board, and fear that it will be unreasonably tough. but many of those who pushed for a tough law fear that the board will be too willing to listen to the public relation industry's leaders. those tensions were reflected in the bitter division of members of the securities and exchange commission in appointing mr. mcglone.
mr. mcglone issued a statement this afternoon, stating, "our job here is to relate to people. it seems that we have violated some laws, and i personally have broken some hearts. to those i have hurt, i'm sorry. me and my collegues will meet and try and clean things up, in the future, you can hope to see a better understanding from our company of how to relate with the public," mcglone made all these statements with a stern face, cigarette in mouth, blur on the stereo, and was escorted by his collegues to his astronomy class. mcglone is 30 years old and considered "foolish", and sometimes "funny" by some of his friends and enemies in the public relations industry.
the new head of a regulatory body usually takes over an operation that is up and running. the appointee can decide what issues to pursue in setting an agenda for the agency.
for jonathan mcglone, who named himself on monday morning to head the new public company oversight board, the reverse is true. he and his four collegues will have to decide the most basic matters, ranging from where the board will live to how it will function. they must also hire a staff that will no doubt be sizeable.
but the issues on mcglone's agenda are set by law, and some of them are highly charged in the current atmosphere. as it begins, the board must decide the extent to which it is willing to simply continue with rules on the conduct of public relations that already exist. it will deal with the question of whether to further restrict consulting activities by visiting firms.
it also needs to set up a mechanism to review the quality of relations and to discipline those who relate within the company. the law calls for the board's staff to review actual relations in determining whether a public relations firm has met its professional responsibilities.
all those decisions will be made in an atmosphere tinged with politics and suspicion. many in the public relations profession were insulted by the very decision to create the board, and fear that it will be unreasonably tough. but many of those who pushed for a tough law fear that the board will be too willing to listen to the public relation industry's leaders. those tensions were reflected in the bitter division of members of the securities and exchange commission in appointing mr. mcglone.
mr. mcglone issued a statement this afternoon, stating, "our job here is to relate to people. it seems that we have violated some laws, and i personally have broken some hearts. to those i have hurt, i'm sorry. me and my collegues will meet and try and clean things up, in the future, you can hope to see a better understanding from our company of how to relate with the public," mcglone made all these statements with a stern face, cigarette in mouth, blur on the stereo, and was escorted by his collegues to his astronomy class. mcglone is 30 years old and considered "foolish", and sometimes "funny" by some of his friends and enemies in the public relations industry.
posted by Jonathan @ 2:23 PM
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