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.