Opinion: How Georgia outplayed the Russians in the PR war

The Guardian's Peter Wilby argues today that in the recent conflict between Russia and Georgia in South Ossatia, "the Georgians played the PR game more skilfully."

He says the Georgian PR machine quickly sprung into action at the start of the conflict, posting press releases to news organisations around the world on the hour as the fighting began.

Wilby argues that the media was slightly blind sided by the conflict, with most reporters in Bejing covering the Olympics or on their summer holidays. As a result, the Georgian PR machine's press releases filled the information vacuum. He argues, "Readers want bombs, tanks and death tolls. They need to be told who are the goodies and baddies. News, remember, is part of the entertainment industry."

Wilby also says that he noted the language used in the press releases, "the use of terms that trigger western media interest: civilian victims, nuclear, humanitarian, occupation, ethnic cleansing." The press release is not something commonly used by the Russians.

The media did rapidly mobilise itself to cover the conflict, but the Georgian's PR machine's readiness for the conflict assisted them in winning vital hearts and minds.

Source: Guardian.co.uk