Lawyer or Advocate?

The other day I came across an interesting question regarding the role of a public relations professional. In regard to their client, is this person more of a lawyer or an advocate? It is their job to be similar to that of a lawyer by challenging the person who pays their salary, asking them hard questions, telling them difficult truths and keeping that person and/or their company on a path that is legal, ethical and transparent? Or it is their job to be more of an advocate or cheerleader in which they devote their communication skills to promoting their boss and company in ways that are positive?

My immediate response to this is "both." The public relations can and should fill both of these roles on behalf of their employer. If they are doing their job properly, then both roles should be part of the public relations officer's normal duties. Yes, they need to come up with strategies that best showcase their client. At the same time, when navigating the media terrain in which one must travel if they are to generate greater visibility, then the professional communicator must ensure their client is not or does not behave in a manner that counteracts any steps toward positive exposure. For the public relations worker, this means closely monitoring the actions and communiques of their client.

From the perspective of the client, it means having full trust in their top communication officer. Trust, of course, is not always to attain or give. This is not because one person does not trust another to be honest and truthful. Rather, it involves trusting the judgment of that other person as well as having confidence the communicator has the best interest of the client in mind. This sort of thing takes time as it involves the essence of what makes a relationship between any two individuals succeed. Having these fundamental elements in-place, of course, does not there will not rocky moments between the two. But, then, have there ever been successful partners that do not have times when they disagree?