Wendell Potter, author of "Deadly Spin," a criticism of PR practices in the healthcare industry, will speak in New York at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Murphy Institute for Worker Education and Labor Studies, 25 W. 43rd St.

A reception starts at 6 p.m.

His appearance is sponsored by Physicians for a National Health Plan, a group of 14,000 physicians backing single-payer health insurance.

The group has opened the meeting to the general public and has reserved four rooms (convertible to one room) on the 18th floor.

potter
Potter
E-mails about the appearance of Potter were sent last week to William Murray, president of PR Society of America; Arthur Yann, VP-PR of the Society; Julia Hood, president of Arthur W. Page Society, and Kathy Cripps, president of the Council of PR Firms. They were asked if they would attend the meeting themselves or send someone to address concerns about PR that are being raised by Potter.

There were no responses to the e-mails but Cripps, reached by telephone this morning, said the CPRF has another meeting tonight and she could not herself attend. She did not rule out someone else from the CPRF attending.

Meeting Across the Street from Page, CPRF


The Murphy Institute is across the street from h.q. of the Arthur W. Page Society and the Council of PR Firms, which share space on the 23rd floor of 317 Madison ave. at 42nd St.

Potter appeared at New York University Nov. 16, speaking and taking all questions from the audience for nearly two hours.

There are no representatives of the PR groups who make such public appearances.

The PR Society for two years has had a “Business Case for PR” program, but no one who is promoting it in public in person. Society chairs typically speak to less than a half dozen chapters and none has addressed the New York chapter in more than 20 years.

Reporters who attempt to cover appearances of Society chairs at chapter meetings are ordered not to record them and are not allowed to ask questions during the meeting. Interviews may be given privately after the meeting. There is no published list of speaking engagements of Society chairs.

The Society website says that the critics of PR are not knowledgeable about it. This could not include Potter, who had high PR posts in Cigna for 20 years.

Members of the PNHP also include 4,000 medical students and health professionals. The Murphy Institute is sponsored by New York City labor unions and the City University of New York. It provides educational services to union members and is an “academic resource on issues of concern to the labor movement.”

Cities on the Potter tour included Washington, D.C., on Nov, 9; Philadelphia, Nov. 15; Seattle, Dec. 8; San Francisco, Dec. 9; San Diego, Dec. 13, and Pasadena, Dec. 14.

Appearances in 2011 include Atlanta on Jan. 4, Austin, Jan. 7; New York, Jan. 10; Raleigh, Jan. 11; Memphis, Jan. 13; Chicago, Jan. 18; Minneapolis, Jan. 19; Denver, Jan. 20, and Salt Lake City, Jan. 21.