It's all in the message

I was sat reading through a publication called PR Week when I turned, as I am want to out of curiosity, to the jobs/employment pages. Lo and behold staring me in the face was an advertisement for a Communications Officer for drinkaware.co.uk the industry organisation voluntarily set up to give information to the general public about the so called facts about alcohol.

The advertisement goes on to talk about joining an award winning Communications team promoting key messages to several sectors and also implies working intimately with the medical profession. And for the right person the remuneration package is £25k per annum.

Now is there any wonder why when a body, set up by the alcohol industry, can pay £25k for a very junior spin doctor that those of us who really seek to educate about alcohol stand a chance?

Now I'm not naive enough to believe that a multi-billion pound industry is going to roll over and say yes we've misled you for thousands of years, let's face it look at big tobacco, but I would like to think that they have the courage to tell the truth because for all of you that know me I am not anti alcohol just anti abuse of alcohol.

Also how are these "Communications Officers" trained? Oh I forgot to tell you. They are trained by Universities and Colleges who specialise in Communications but have little understanding of the true neurophysiological or psychological impact that those Communications have upon the intended subject. Sure there are one or two really good centres out there but the reality is that once someone has written the "Communications Bible" they all preach from the same sheet. However those organisations who do understand this deep impact upon the human psyche are very powerful indeed and have the ability to manipulate the human race as if they were a toy in the bath. Don't believe me? Ask Stanley Milgram, Josef Goebbels or even Rupert Murdoch.

So if an industry like the alcohol industry really wants to make you believe something they take fresh young minds and turn them into Communications Officers implanting them with the message that they are being responsible and educational about alcohol.

After all it's all in the message