I was busy enough last week than when I saw this I didn't have time to do it justice. I still may not, but here goes.
It's not the first time companies have threatened to pull ads from books that say ugly things about them. Of course it's bullshit -- kind of like the 3-page list of instructions Tom Cruise apparently gives out to anyone wanting to interview him. Everyone wants as much a controlled image as possible.
The point is that I don't think you actually can use media relations to control an image, at least not fully. I say this all the time: good editorial coverage comes from good behavior. Bad editorial coverage comes from bad behavior. There are exceptions, of course, but this generally is the rule. In proactive media relations, you must keep reporters and influencers informed, but coverage comes from the actual, not the vapor. So, you want good press? Do good things. You want to avoid bad press? Don't do bad things.
I don't buy everything in the post, but I'll buy this over and over: As FC accurately says, it's not [their] job to do you this favor -- good companies will breed good coverage.
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