We made Poonam Pandey win

2024 is emerging to be the year of nuanced shock value and how Rigging it further with a simulation of death and resurrection is the dismaying PR stunt by the Indian model and actress ndash Poonam PandeyWhile we come to terms with her rebirth there is a floating awareness around cervical cancer and pap tests ndash but more so about living in the age of deep fakes identity thefts digitally engineered realities hyperconstructed social media and online scamsRegardless of the point she and her team tried to make ndash there is a heightened awareness about one thing do not believe everything that surfaces on your phoneFaking onersquos death for publicity is not only appalling but unethical on criminal levels While Pandeyrsquos credibility was never the point of discussion ndash what does seem fishy to the public are the media channels and social pages that floated the news without verificationAlthough verification from who The direct sources to spill news on public figures are their pricey PR agents who bombard WhatsApp groups a gazillion times a day Needless to say with so much clutter and noise around us ndash it takes a blatantcrueladorned with a veneer of shallow amazementkind of stunt to stand outAnd that it didAlso Read Poonam Pandey fake death Mandira Bedi Munawar Faruqui Ektaa Kapoor and more condemn the actressBut her illcooked broth has taught us a lesson ndash The modus operandi to become relevant again is to cash on a pervasive trait the pronounced gullibility of the massesViraj Sikand writes on X ldquoI literally didnt know who she was until now She is successful in her move as she gets so much more attention for her death than what she was getting earlier This is going to set an example for others who will probably employ similar techniques to gain quick TRPs and trend on GooglerdquoWe gave you plenty of attention shared social media posts sparked a nationwide response and prompted more people to circulate the news of your demise Perhaps it is safe to assume that your dream has been actuated events unfolded as intendedndash the media was manipulated the masses were taken for a ride and you earned her clout What nowHighlighting the nefarious nature of this PR stunt Mumbaibased communication and marketing consultant Myron Braganza tells Midday ldquoAlthough she is oblivious to reality it is a matter of grave concern She turned journalists into villains who work hard to research and file their stories A lot of paparazzi were also mourning her death She made us all look badrdquoThe idea to raise awareness was important but the manner was incorrect and distasteful Myron addsThe roots of this campaign can be traced back to the ldquofather of public relationsrdquo Edward Bernays 18911995 who described the masses as irrational and subject to herd instinctmdashand he outlined how skilled practitioners could use crowd psychology and psychoanalysis to control them in desired waysBernays later synthesised many of such ideas in his book Public Relations 1945 which outlines the science of managing information released to the public by an organisation in a manner most advantageous to the organisationHe does this by first providing an overview of the history of public relations and then details insight into its application PR agents who handle public figures may find this outdatedThe impact on public perception and engagementAdmitting the competitive nature of his work Myron admits that PR experts have to sweat blood and craft extreme scenarios to shed light on issues that need attention Take for example the brutal rape in Delhi caused the court to fasttrack rape cases Why do we need to wait for something extreme to happen to make an impact or change he asksCommenting on the response by the masses he says ldquoI feel the public perception is mixed Some have hated her approach and some lauded it because cervical cancer is the talk of the town In fact one of my friends reached out to me wondering if she should consider a pap smear test The best I could suggest was to get a screening done and some tests to give herself clarityrdquoAfter this stunt it will be difficult for the public to believe anything that comes from Poonam and her team he addedWhile another celebrity PR manager Namita Rajhans Cofounder Shimmery Entertainment shares that public relations should be built on transparency honesty and integrityldquoFaking a death undermines these principles potentially leading to a loss of trust and credibility among your audience It can create confusion emotional distress and negative publicity detracting from the genuine message you aim to convey about cervical cancer awarenessrdquoAlso Read Mystery over Poonams Pandeys deathAny ethical considerations if at allEthics ndash arenrsquot we asking for too muchYet Myron opines that resorting to reels or a TV ad could still be admissible ldquoPoonam Pandey has a huge fan following I am sure people and her fans would listen to herrdquoFor a while through communications he has been trying to draw awareness amongst various topics such as cervical cancer postpartum depression infertility and so on Whatever the intent might be the approach also should be followed in the right mannerIn his opinion the judicial system should be taking action against Poonam Pandey as she is a highly influential person that can lead to other people doing the same thing Are we going to wait for another extreme stunt to change the laws