So what's the solution? How do we banish the bogeyman? Or more precisely, the notion of public relations officers as bogeymen?

The only remedy is through a stronger foundation of ethical standards. Rules need to be set in place for the practice of public relations and those who break them need to be punished. Although some regulations exist, such as those created by the CIPR and PRSA, those who are members and break the rules rarely see any consequences from it. Without consequences that set an example for others to follow, rules serve no purpose. The honor system is far too idealistic to function in our contemporary society.

However, although the reputation of people working in public relations can improve with stronger guidelines, the actions of people in power will always be viewed under a microscope and are subject to quick judgments and misjudments. When it comes to those working for high-powered companies or individuals, the public will always be quick to be label them villains and monsters.

As a certain professor is always telling us, you can show someone any number of white swans but you can't convince them that all swans are white but if you show them one black swan, they will be convinced that not all swans are white . . .
Did I get that right . . . ?
Because it certainly proves true in the case of the public relations bogeyman. There are plenty of people who work in the field of public relations who are not only good at their jobs, but conduct themselves in an exemplary manner, individuals whose professional ethics cannot be questioned. But those people do not make the headlines, their pictures do not (dis) grace the cover of newspapers, their actions not the subject of blog posts. There are only three things the media outlets are interested in covering and that is celebrities, villains and heroes, respectively. And heroes fall far behind the other two in terms of the interest they generate.

Part of the reason for the growing sense of cynicism among the public when it comes to public relations is the new awareness individuals have gained through the rise of new media.
The focus of public relations is to indirectly spread a particular story, product or point of view. The original source, a public relations officer, is supposed to remain a secret; rather a third party addresses the issue and advances the view you want disseminated .
With the emergence of blogs and all sorts of information being made available on the web, not only can information that was not disclosed publicly be discovered but news of its discovery can spread faster than you can say “public relations nightmare.”
So should public relations people fear the educated consumer? Are we enemies?
We do not have to be. If you act according to ethical and professional standards, than no undisclosed information can harm you. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who do conduct themselves unethically and when they're actions our revealed, the entire professions suffers.

Public affairs is where public relations suffers the most reputation-wise because that is where its affects are felt most heavily.
Alastair Campbell, although great at his job, brutally damaged the reputation of public relations officers in the United Kingdom. He controlled media content and coverage of Tony Blair's words and actions for a long time and his attitude toward journalists created a tense relationship with media outlets. As Director of Communications, Campbell had the difficult job of gaining public support for all government actions. True, he was tough and ruled with an iron fist, but how else was he to accomplish such a monumental task? He was effective and he was shrewd and whether an individual believes him to have been an evil monster or just a good Director of Communications, depends on whether they agreed with what was carried out during Blair's time in Number 10. The perspective of someone studying your actions is perhaps even more important than your own intent.

So are public relations officers the bogeyman for a new generation?
Why is such a negative view of those working in public relations the pervading one in our contemporary society?

The field of public relations is often skirting controversy, particularly in the area of current affairs. In fact, as I literally write these very words, on the television screen in front of me (background noise is imperative to my work environment, I'm not slacking I swear) BBC Two is advertising a program called "Political Spin-Doctoring - In the thick of it."
The goal of public relations is to garner positive public opinion. It's a matter of selling something you represent, be it a person, a product or an idea and you cannot sell something by telling your customers about all the negatives, you have to emphasize the positive.

The real difference between bogeymen and regular ole human beings and all their faults is intent. Whether a public relations company purposely intends to manipulate public opinion in the quest for a hefty paycheck knowing that whatever they represent may be harmful to public good or is the organizations or person simply to trying to generate word of mouth about something they think could serve the general good. Intent becomes imperative.