And much, much more when it gets in the hands of your adversaries.
Peace activist Cindy Sheehan's finding that out firsthand right now from conservative political groups and hundreds of blogs around the country.
Here's the skinny: Sheehan and her book publisher are furious about Associated Press and Reuters photos that allegedly presented a misleading impression of her book signing last weekend in Texas. (One of the photos in question is at the top of this post.)
The AP caption simply read: "Anti-war activist CindySheehan waits for people to show up at her book signing near President Bush's ranch on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2005 in Crawford, Texas."
In a statement issued yesterday by Sheehan, she accused conservative Web sites of "spreading a false story that nobody bought my book at Camp Casey on Saturday. That is not true, I sold all 100 copies and got writer's cramp signing them. Photos were taken of me before the people got in line to have me sign the book. We made $2000 for the peace house."
And conservative sites from North Dakota to North Carolina were all over these photos.
Michael John McCrae of The Conservative Voice wrote a scathing commentary of Sheehan's alleged underwhelming event. There are hundreds of other sites that happily pounced on the photos that show a dejected Sheehan waiting for people to show up at her book signing.
So what's the takeaway for PR people?
First, if I were Sheehan's publicist, I wouldn't have held a book signing in Crawford, Texas. Yes, I realize there were protesters there who admired Sheehan, but there's not much favorable foot traffic once you brush aside her fellow protesters.
Second, I wouldn't have let any photographers into her tent until the place was filled up with people waiting to have Sheehan sign their books. You need to fend off the media when they have a chance to capture your client in an unflattering light.
Lastly, I would've held a quick Media Training 101 crash course for Sheehan. No matter how tired she might be or dejected about the war in Iraq, she absolutely cannot pose glumly with her head in her hands as photographers stand three feet from her. She certainly looks like someone's who’s unhappy and that observation—coupled with the fact that nobody was in the tent aside from photographers—connects the dots for the Associated Press and Reuters.
I'm not saying any one side is right and the other to blame, but this controversy could've been avoided with a little common sense and a professional approach to PR.
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