ALL THE WORST HUMANS

Four years of classes and a degree in both Public Relations and Journalism could not have prepared me for the stories that Phil Elwood highlights in his book, All The Worst Humans. From babysitting Gaddafi’s son to rigging the 2022 World Cup bid, Elwood’s professional career reads more like high-stakes fiction.

'In PR, a good narrative has a beginning, middle, and end,' Elwood says on page 208. 'Truly effective narratives become invasive thoughts we plant in the public’s mind. The machinery of PR twists truth to whichever way we want the wind to blow.'

This aligns with what I learned in school, where earned media involves planting stories in the media to influence public opinion. A perfect example of this is a photo op, such as when celebrities pose with politicians to send a calculated message.

I also learned that every narrative requires a villain, victim, and vindicator —think Kanye West and Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs. Swift was accepting the award for Best Female Video when West stormed the stage, claiming that Beyoncé should have won. 'In the PR business, we convert the villain into a vindicator or a victim as fast as possible,' Elwood wrote on page 61. In this scenario, West is the villain, Swift is the victim, and Beyoncé is the vindicator.

Taylor Swift has been my favorite artist for as long as I can remember. Her publicist is what drew me toward the PR career path in the first place. One of my best friends and I often discuss the PR moves of celebrities and what we would do as her publicist. Swift is our favorite dream client.

At the end of the day, the most important thing I know about PR, as reflected in the book, is that it would be nothing without the media. This is why I majored in both Public Relations and Journalism and spent the past three years working at newspapers.

'First ink is the most important. Journalism is the first draft of history, and the first story is the first draft of a news cycle. It sets the tone for the coverage' (pg. 136).

Elwood’s book is truly inspiring to me. It fuels my excitement to enter the fast-paced world of PR, especially in crisis situations where the stakes are high and the outcomes are uncertain. While Elwood’s story is a dream of mine, I hope to become the protagonist in my own career, much like how Elwood takes control by the end of his.