Gossip

Generally, "gossip" is defined as unconstrained chatter about others involving unconfirmed facts. The relationship that most have with it is mixed at best. At the very least, we are aware of its existence but refuse to either participate in it or add to it. On the other end of the spectrum, we cannot get enough of it to the extent we add to it and/or do not hesitate to share it with others. For myself, I confess to falling somewhere in the middle of those two ends. I will not necessarily close my ears to a juicy tidbit but at the same time I draw the line at spreading it. Given that, I am not sure if that makes me a gossip hound or not.

Gossip is a tool that some in the communication "game" use to promote various ideas they wish to plant in the public trough. For instance, a publicist representing an actor/actress may casually mention to a reporter or two that they heard two executives discussing the possibility of a particular person being considered for a juicy role in an upcoming motion picture. The reporters eagerly print the tip because it is "hot," not suspecting that the tip is totally made-up. In a more serious vain, a top executive in The White House may float to a reporter the notion that a certain policy is about to be announced by a top official. After the "tip" is printed and aired, the executive assesses the public reaction to help them decide whether nor not to actually push forward with the proposed policy.

No question, such strategies can often be effective. They enable sources to launch trial balloons under the veil of anonymity while also giving themselves the option of either confirming or denying a tip's veracity when they are approached to comment "on the record." Clever indeed. Still, does this represent the best of public relations, a field of communication that is supposed to ride on the wings of truth? The answer, of course, is "no." Yet it exists and is used quite often in all fields, not just show business or politics. As one dives deeper into the public relations well, practitioners must decide if such a game is one they wish to include in their arsenal.