As some of you may know, The Public Relations Society of America decided to cancel this year's annual conference due to Hurricane Wilma. The decision wasn't surprising, and was really the only sensible thing to do in light of the dangers the hurricane posed.
With the decision behind them, the PRSA sent out a statement that included a refund policy requiring anyone asking for refunds to write a letter detailing why they weren't able to attend the conference. Needless to say that demand set a lot of people off, especially given the fact that an organization whose members often offer counsel in crisis communications, sent it out. To everyone but the PRSA, giving refunds automatically was just as much a given as the decision to cancel.
It seems these days that the PRSA is increasingly unconcerned with the image it generates among not only people in the profession, but among its members as a whole. This policy has the potential to generate even more anger from those who have maintained for a long time that it needs to be more aggressive in formulating policies on such things as proper use of video news releases (VNRs) and writing standards governing how PR agencies should interact with government agencies.
It continues to amaze me how a professional organization such as the PRSA could be so blissfully unaware of the concerns of its members and their profession. Instead they continue behaving as a monopoly of sorts that operates with a "love it or leave it" mentality. Unfortunately for them, many people already have.
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