Information Dilemma

We all have needs. Boy do we ever. We want to feel safe, feel good about ourselves, be accepted by others, have choices on what to do with our lives, and have viable opportunities to achieve goals. These needs are among the ones articulated by Abraham Maslow and others that all of us, no matter our particular station in life, share. The result that every day of our lives we focus on addressing those needs in some direct or indirect way. In my case, for example, even though I am now retired, I am continuing to ensure that I will have money in my pocket to help put food on my family's table, keep a roof over our heads, etc.  

In addition to these needs, we also share a need for information. Not only do we want to know what is going on around us and in the world, but we also need information that we can apply to our own lives in ways that make us safer, happier and generally more satisfied. In its own way, then, the need for information is just as fundamental as such needs as food and water. For instance, not only do we need water but we also need information as to where it is and then how to keep it clean and maintain steady access to it. These two types of needs go hand-in-hand. The result is those who control information find themselves in very important positions.

Those working in public relations are one group of people in such a position. They are hired by clients and organizations to share information with the public. Yet those employers do not want all information about them disclosed. Thus, the public relations worker serves as a gatekeeper as to what information to release and what not. In a society that claims to be open and one populated by people needing information, being in such a position where one determines the flow of information can be quite tricky. Openness, then, can be a difficult dilemma for those in the information business. At times, it can be a matter of having to choose between serving a client versus the general public.