INC NEWS - Duke shouldn't use neighborhood partnership as PR tool (Indy Weekly)

[John Schelp]

Talkback: PR Tool
Independent Weekly, 19 April 2006

When negative press coverage of the Duke lacrosse
story first hit the national stage, a Washington Post
reporter got my number from a local reporter and
called to ask about Duke's Neighborhood Partnership
Initiative. 

When asked what prompted such a question in the
context of the serious allegations in this story, the
reporter said he had spoken with Duke Senior Vice
President for Public Relations, John Burness, who
lauded the partnership and provided the reporter with
a link to its website.

Duke University should not have used the neighborhood
partnership as a PR tool in its damage control
efforts.

The fact that the partnership initiative functions as
an extension of Duke's PR department raises questions
about whether or not it is a genuine partnership. The
events of recent weeks have been painful and
difficult, evoking strong emotions and exposing many
tensions and divisions within and between the Duke and
Durham communities. 

Genuine partners engage in dialogue and express their
feelings freely. So long as Duke continues to
understand and use partnership neighborhoods as
extensions of its PR office, true and full partnership
isn't possible. 

And that, it seems, is both the point and the problem
with having the Neighborhood Partnership Initiative
located in Duke's PR office. 

John Schelp
Durham