Dirty Business

Watching Channel 4's Dirty Business was a very uncomfortable experience.

As a wild swimmer.

As a parent.

As a citizen who pays her water bill.

As a PR Professional.

The programme tells the true story of the ravaging of one of this country's core utilities since privatisation, the lives that have been lost thanks to the negligence of the water companies and Environment Agency (human and nature) and two retirements well-spent, investigating this issue.

I listened to an episode of When it Hits the Fan beforehand, where they discussed the role for PR for the water companies - what can you do when your sector's reputation this deep in the mud? My view? You say sorry. Repeatedly. You investigate openly and are clear about all the ways in which you misplaced your customers' trust.

The role of 'Leonie' in the programme felt particularly uncomfortable for me. The ineffective, flappy PR lady. It's a lazy trope, but it works. Because, let's be honest, our industry has played a devastating role in some of the biggest betrayals of the public's trust. 

In both the case of The Post Office scandal and the water companies, leadership made countless bad and unethical decisions. And at no point are they challenged from within. It is not solely PR's role to hold leadership to account, but it is a role that our sector has repeatedly shied away from. 

Until we hold ourselves to account, demonstrate the codes of conduct from both the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and PRCA we will always be protrayed like Leonie: snivelling, lying, naive at best.

I'm interested in your views on how we reflect effectively and what you took from Dirty Business?