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

[Reyn Bowman]

Good points and as schelp hopefully knows I wasn't dismissing his point entirely .  I just think with all our differences we need to trust we're all in good faith.

-----Original Message-----
From: "Tom Clark" <tomc at nc.rr.com>
To: "'Reyn Bowman'" <Reyn at Durham-cvb.com>; "'John Schelp'" <bwatu at yahoo.com>; "inc-list at DurhamINC.org" <inc-list at DurhamINC.org>; "TownGown at yahoogroups.com" <TownGown at yahoogroups.com>
Cc: "'Richard Brodhead'" <richard.brodhead at duke.edu>
Sent: 4/19/06 6:17 PM
Subject: RE: INC NEWS - Duke shouldn't use neighborhood partnership as PRtool(Indy Weekly)

Reyn,

"Logical" for whom?  Just because Duke puts those two jobs in Burness'
portfolio, doesn't mean it's good for the community, or even good for Duke.

I take Schelp's point to be precisely that if you mix the jobs of community
affairs liason (trying to recruit and work with partners towards mutually
beneficial ends) and public relations officer (communicator, aka 'spin
doctor,' think 'Scott McClellan') you're asking for trouble, or at least
ambiguous communications that reflect the two very different jobs--which is
exactly what we keep getting from Duke.

It would have been fine for Burness to refer the reporter to people involved
with the Neighborhood Partnership for testimony as to Duke's record or
intentions.  Nothing wrong with Duke saying 'talk to so-and-so, they'll tell
we do good.'  But unless I'm asked personally and specifically about a given
situation, if I'm a partner with Duke, I begin to feel like Duke is working
with me for the purpose of showing off their good intentions, rather than
aggressively accomplishing the task we've agreed to do together.  


TC

-----Original Message-----
From: inc-list-bounces at rtpnet.org [mailto:inc-list-bounces at rtpnet.org] On
Behalf Of Reyn Bowman
Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2006 4:48 PM
To: John Schelp; inc-list at DurhamINC.org; TownGown at yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: INC NEWS - Duke shouldn't use neighborhood partnership as
PRtool(Indy Weekly)

You may be correct John but what we don't know is what question the
reporter posed to John and in what context.  I suspect he was asked
something about Duke's relationship with the community and in that
context it was appropriate to give an example.

John's job is public and community affairs which transcends but includes
public relations.  He's poured his heart and soul into the neighborhood
projects and I believe his motives go to substance as well as good will.
So they logical in his portfolio.

Reyn Bowman

-----Original Message-----
From: inc-list-bounces at rtpnet.org [mailto:inc-list-bounces at rtpnet.org]
On Behalf Of John Schelp
Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2006 4:32 PM
To: inc-list at DurhamINC.org
Subject: INC NEWS - Duke shouldn't use neighborhood partnership as PR
tool(Indy Weekly)

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

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