The Bailey Blog

Ultimately, no matter the tactic, public relations is about disseminating a particular key message to the target audience. It is critical to the success of any company or campaign, that the information provided is factual and accurate – undoubtedly separating myth from fact.

In November, Michiganders will be asked to vote yes or no on the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI) ballot proposal – a proposal that if passed (majority yes votes) will abolish affirmative action programs in Michigan. Affirmative Action is generally a controversial topic because people only see it as a race (black vs. white) issue. The PR person in me had to dig a little deeper to find out what the facts are so that I can help educate others come election time.

Myth: African Americans are the primary beneficiaries of Affirmative Action.
Fact: If you do your research, you’ll find that the primary beneficiary of Affirmative Action is women – more specifically, white women.

If the MCRI passes in November, among the programs that will no longer exist are ones that are gender specific - including free breast cancer and prostate screenings and those that encourage girls to study science and go into sports, just to name a few. This election season, I will have my PR hat on to see how the stakeholders (which includes ALL of us) in this campaign will communicate the key messages.

How can you convey a message without knowing the difference between myth and fact? On what will you base your vote? I know I’ll be learning all I can about this ballot proposal between now and November to help educate myself, my family and friends. I hope you will.