Passionately dispassionate: navigating politics in PR

Politics are not for the partisan-minded, at least when it comes to PR.

That’s the conclusion Peter Carr came to as he reflected on his career. Standing on the other side of twenty years of government experience, he has learned to separate his own feelings and opinions from his work.

Carr’s extensive career working for the U.S. government has included being a spokesman for Special Counsel Robert Mueller, directing media relations for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and now being a spokesman for Special Counsel Jack Smith in a current investigation. Carr’s work experience has taught him the unique challenges of being a spokesperson in a political setting.

Carr wants aspiring political spokespeople to know that not all political roles are created equal. Representing an individual, such as a member of congress, requires the spokesperson to represent the individual’s viewpoint, which means representing a specific political ideology. Government agencies have a specific mission that remains constant regardless of the political climate. Representing a government agency calls for a more open-minded, non-partisan approach.

Be impartial

Government spokespeople may feel conflicted when they are called on to represent a viewpoint that they don’t personally agree with. Carr’s work often involves highly sensitive political issues, and experience has taught him that the only way to avoid feeling conflicted is to remain impartial.

Carr suggests that a dispassionate attitude serves one better in this capacity than fiery political opinions. When asked if his own political leanings ever interfere with his ability to do his job, he said he doesn’t think that way. He maintains that representing a government agency is no different than representing any other organization. In both cases, it is the spokesperson’s job to understand their organization’s mission and to bring that mission to life.

“I try to understand where we’re coming from,” he said. “It doesn’t benefit me to become passionate about certain issues because that’s not my role. My role is representing the agency that I work for.”

In a rapidly changing political environment, it’s hard to stay impartial. Government spokespeople and other PR professionals dealing with political issues can find power by grounding themselves in their organization’s values.

Preserve personal authenticity

Instead of basing his work on his own political opinions, Carr grounds himself in the values of the department that he represents. Like any other organization, government institutions have values and a mission to accomplish.

“I stay very close to what that underlying mission is and try to not get so involved in the political side of things,” he said.

Representing an organization is difficult when personal values conflict with organizational values. Carr advises those looking for a PR career in politics or government to pick an organization whose values align with one’s personal values. This enables a spokesperson to represent a mission instead of representing a specific decision or opinion. When PR professionals take care to choose an organization with values they believe in, those values will always be present. This makes it easier to preserve personal authenticity, even if there are professional disagreements about certain decisions.

Be dispassionate but find something to be passionate about

Carr is dispassionate when it comes to the politics of his job, but that doesn’t mean he’s not passionate about his work. “Find an element of the work that you can be passionate about,” he said. Carr channels his passion towards public service and educating the public.

Carr advises that PR professionals find an aspect of their work to channel their passion into. This makes it easier to have an impartial attitude towards PR work in politics in government while still maintaining authenticity on a personal level.

Be a mediator

Whether in the political realm or in another industry, PR professionals must always manage the internal conflict between personal opinions and what one is expected to say on their organization’s behalf. Carr’s advice centers on remembering the nature of public relations. PR professionals represent an organization and act as a mediator between the public’s interests and their organization’s goals.

It may be surprising to hear that the key to successful PR in politics is to become more impartial and less passionate. Focusing on organizational values and finding aspects of work where it is appropriate to be passionate helps professionals to best serve their organization.