Self-serving and wrong on several levels?

From Saturday's DMN, media critic Barry Horn's "Hot Air column had an item about former Dallas Mavericks PR honcho Kevin Sullivan (one of the best ever) getting a job as President Bush's top assistant for communications. (Sullivan also has held top communications jobs at NBC.) Here's a paragraph:

Hot Air was one of Sullivan's references for the NBC job. Inexplicably, the White House failed to check in this time.

I realize the last part of that sentence is humorous and self-deprecating, but I've got a problem with the first part (assuming it's not another attempt at humor). First, if it's true, should someone in the media serve as reference in a situation like this? Is that ethical? And if Horn did serve as a Sullivan reference _ even just verbally _ isn't it more than a bit self-serving to mention it in your column, even if it's to set up a "line."?

 

How else is a PR person supposed to check how well an applicant deals with the media if not by checking with members of the media? If the guy just answered questions about his dealings with Sulllivan in an honest way, then I don't see any problem with it.

 

i think the opposite is wrong -- a PR guy shouldn't be a reference for a journalist. but i don't see any problem with this. none at all. both are professionals so what's wrong with the reporter telling a prospective employer - even if it's the white house - that he had good dealings with the media?

as an aside, i've always felt people place too much stock in references. if i list someone as a reference, it's obviously someone who will give me a glowing review. i think the prospective employer is better of cold calling some of his former bosses or coworkers if he really wants to know how the employee performs at work. (this is more for a run-of-the-mill job, not necessarily white house spokesman)

 

The rule of thumb for good HR managers is to ask the reference for another reference, and ask that reference for a reference as well. (all relating to the applicant of course)

 

Sorry, wrong place. I read the title and assumed it was a thread about Lupica.

Carry on.

 

Have a nice time joining that nest of liars, Kevin.

 

Barry Horn critiquing national media is like Les Nessman critiquing Cincinnati metro radio.

I can think of probably 20 better critics.

 

And furthermore, I've noticed a pre-purge trend of DMN reporters tooting their own Horn (no pun intended) for headlines. There was Louis DeLuca's photo feature about the son he adopted. And a few months ago, the unfortunately-named Dave Levinthal wrote about his famous namesake in the GuideLive section.

They're not hard-up for subject material. But they damn sure seem to be for writing personalities.

 

Please explain.

 

Only unfortunate in that he's often mistaken for the other Dave Levinthal. That's all.