Quest for headline kills Alcohol Concern’s credibility
Calling for the prosecution of parents who allow their children a glass of wine with Sunday dinner secured many headlines for Alcohol Concern’s latest report, A Glass Half Empty.
But this was far from being good public relations. The government quickly dismissed the proposal as Alcohol Concern had presented no evidence that this practice creates binge drinkers. Alcohol Concern was left looking extreme as it seemed nobody was prepared to come forward and support the hypothesis that those under-age are less likely to seek out alcohol if their parents have refused them a taste.
It’s tempting to seek out headlines with extreme statements, but as a public relations strategy it sucks. This incident has damaged the credibility of a charity working in an important social field by placing a question mark over all of its research. And it’s right that those who seek to influence public policy are challenged to produce evidence in support of their claims. Those who wish to rubbish Alcohol Concern need only point to this incident as evidence that the charity is prone to bouts of hysteria.
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