This US Postal Service situation! The Postmaster General – what’s his name, De Joy? – apparently is slowing mail delivery. He’s also, apparently, having mailboxes removed from cities, and he seems to be getting rid of mail sorting machines.
This would cause concern at any time, but in the run-up to what may be the most important election of our time – during a pandemic – these changes, apparently at the Postmaster General’s direction, are extremely concerning. Rather than standing in line at polling places, many of us will want to vote by mail. We’ll need to know that “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night (will stay) these (mail) couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” That’s in the motto of the organization Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, currently, heads.
How is his PR team coping? That’s what I’m wondering.
So, I’ve been thinking… Why not get in touch with someone on the team, to toss things around? I was in PR for a long time. If there’s such a thing as a PR brotherhood/sisterhood, why shouldn’t I reach out?
But, reaching out can be daunting. Just try getting through to customer service departments at companies! But I did recall seeing, in the news, the name of a postal service spokesperson. So, I began searching on the USPS website, and spotted a ‘Newsroom’ tab. I clicked it. But, unless I was missing something, I couldn’t find the spokesperson – the one quoted in the news – in the ‘Newsroom’ directory.
I plowed on, searching for someone… anyone!… and finally found someone listed in the District of Columbia office. Washington DC! There even was contact information, an email address and phone number.
I’m writing an email. Heck, all I’m asking is how the PR team is handling a terribly serious PR problem, and a CEO (the current Postmaster General), who just can’t be bringing much ‘De Joy,’ so to speak, to a whole lot of people.
I wonder if the person I can actually contact, in the nation’s capital, will get back to me.
Stay tuned.
Harvey Radin is former senior vice president in charge of corporate communications and media relations, Bank of America Western Region. He makes his home in Redwood City, CA.