Relax, everyone! For a mere $250 million, your hope will be inspired! Your despair will be defeated!
HHS (US Department of Health and Human Services) will be paying $250 million for a PR campaign to “defeat despair and inspire hope about the coronavirus,” Politico reported this week. That much money will pay for a whole lot of spin, and it will take plenty of it to make everyone feel good about the virus that, so far, has infected six million people and caused more than 186,000 deaths.
Imagine the presentations PR firms, vying for this huge contract, will be putting on. The firms have to produce quite a show, especially when there’s that much money on the table. Each firm, attempting to win the business, has to outdazzle the other firms.
To inspire hope, and all, the PR firms will have to inspire all the government people sitting around the conference table. Hopefully, everyone will be wearing face masks, and observing social distancing and other pandemic protocols. But, then again, maybe they won’t because, you know, that whole mask thing and social distancing is being politicized.
Of course, the PR firms might, remotely, put on their big shows, but you know what happens with that. The sound quality and visuals might get all screwed up.
So, this ought to be interesting. Maybe amusing.
Holy mackerel! Two-hundred-fifty-million dollars! Is that taxpayers’ money? If taxpayers are paying the tab, do you think any of us will be represented at HHS HQ?
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.