A group of individuals interested in marketing their business approached me recently. Much of the details will be left out to protect their identities (for now) except to say that they were thinking of telling my story of indigence and co-branding their company. A meeting convened and after an interview and a brain-storming session plans were drawn up to pursue a PR Campaign.
On the 13th of March the Press Release went out. As specified on an email, the one page release was supposed to have been sent to The Associated Press, OC Register, Coast Magazine, OC Family and ABC, CBS, NBC. As the following email thread will show there are three possible scenarios that may have occurred:
Follow the thread and see what you think.
DRAFT OF THE PRESS RELEASE
(A copy of the actual piece has not been received by Robert)
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EMAIL FROM PR PROFESSIONAL
March 13, 2011 9:29:19 PM PDT
The press release has gone out to The Associated Press, OC Register, Coast Magazine, OC Family and ABC, CBS, NBC and I have had no bites from anyone as of last week. I have followed up via telephone as well as have had no calls returned either. I think that I have officially lost my touch in the PR arena or at least have no "weight" with these people anymore without an official organization that I am calling from. I am so very disappointed in this reaction. I would like to give it one more round of calls and re-faxing to these folks and see if we can get a bite this week as well. Then, we will need to come up with plan B.
My deepest apologies for not having better news for you. The bottom line is that you are doing a great deed and I do think that it is newsworthy. The timing may be after the fact as opposed to now????
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EMAIL FROM ROBERT LACAMBRA:
Mar 21, 2011 at 8:52 PM
That was entirely expected. As I mentioned to you, I am being targeted by the FBI, Sheriff's Department and other agencies that find it in their interest to keep this story off the mainstream media. Current technologies make it easy to suppress data transmissions electronically resulting in intercepted messages that never get in the hands of its intended recipients. You should already know that by now. More importantly you sent your packet without my prior approval as we had previously agreed. Therefore, I must ask that you stop sending any information that pertains to me or any of my work. In the event that any members of the media were to contact you, you are instructed to forward all inquiries to me via electronic transmission. You are not to answer any questions for or in my behalf. Further dissemination of information may be construed as defaming to my character or to my work which potentially may be subject(s) to an action in civil court of competent jurisdiction.
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EMAIL FROM BUSINESS OWNER:
Mar 21, 2011 at 9:34 PM
You saw the last draft. Was there something wrong in it?
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EMAIL FROM PR PROFESSIONAL
Mar 22, 2011 at 8:49 AM
I will not send any further information out to any of the press agencies. I believe that the reason they are not responding is because the Earthquake and Tsunami hit at the same time that the story was sent out. Human tragedy always trumps human interest stories. I wrote the press release using only your first name so that your identity would be anonymous for the very reason that you stated. I apologize for not seeking approval first, as I wrote the release weighing heavily on the humanitarian efforts of the dental professionals as opposed to your plight. I will abide by your request to have all inquiries directed to you should there be any. It is my sincere hope that you are able to achieve all that you set out to do. Be well Robert.
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EMAIL FROM ROBERT LACAMBRA
Mar 22, 2011 at 1:01 PM
RE: REQUEST TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT EVIDENCE
As you may be aware, an action is currently in the process of being crafted against the FBI, OCSD and other organizations for violations of certain civil rights. The information that you have forwarded to the press community is material to this action. Having said that, herewith is a formal request for you and your organization to preserve and protect the integrity of any and all communication(s) made to the press community. This will include, but is not limited to, email, handwritten drafts, notes, facsimile copies, and other correspondences relating to the public relations campaign for Robert Lacambra, RobertsJustice and all other organizations that may have been mentioned. You are also instructed to forward the names of the organizations and people that you have sent a press kit to; the exact times in which you forwarded this information; the originating phone number or fax number; the recipients name(s), email address, phone number and/or email addresses; the names of the organization or associations in which any and all information was forwarded to. You may forward this at this time or await my formal requests as soon as the case(s) have been lodged.
There are ample case laws that specify the duty of the parties and non-parties to a legal action to preserve evidence. In Toste v. Lewis Controls Inc., the court held the following:
" ... the court delineated the scope of the litigant's duty to preserve evidence: While a litigant is under no duty to keep or retain every document in its possession once a complaint is filed, it is under a duty to preserve what it knows, or reasonably should know, is relevant in the action, is reasonably calculated to lead to discovery of admissible evidence." (Toste v. Lewis Controls, Inc. 1996 WL 101189 (N.D. Cal. Feb 27, 1996)
Likewise, be well.
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EMAIL FROM THE PR PROFESSIONAL
March 22, 2011 1:01 PM
Nothing that was sent out identifies you at all. The press release identifies 00. 000000 and 0000000 you are not a party to the campaign. Furthermore, I am not involved in an organization; I wrote a story about two 00000000000000000000 who were doing a good deed in their community as a favor to them.
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Somewhere in this story there exists a fib!
On the 13th of March the Press Release went out. As specified on an email, the one page release was supposed to have been sent to The Associated Press, OC Register, Coast Magazine, OC Family and ABC, CBS, NBC. As the following email thread will show there are three possible scenarios that may have occurred:
- It was not sent out by the PR Professional (They lied)
- It was sent out but it was electronically blocked by the FBI
- It was sent out, received by the media but was ignored.
Follow the thread and see what you think.
DRAFT OF THE PRESS RELEASE
(A copy of the actual piece has not been received by Robert)
-----
EMAIL FROM PR PROFESSIONAL
March 13, 2011 9:29:19 PM PDT
The press release has gone out to The Associated Press, OC Register, Coast Magazine, OC Family and ABC, CBS, NBC and I have had no bites from anyone as of last week. I have followed up via telephone as well as have had no calls returned either. I think that I have officially lost my touch in the PR arena or at least have no "weight" with these people anymore without an official organization that I am calling from. I am so very disappointed in this reaction. I would like to give it one more round of calls and re-faxing to these folks and see if we can get a bite this week as well. Then, we will need to come up with plan B.
My deepest apologies for not having better news for you. The bottom line is that you are doing a great deed and I do think that it is newsworthy. The timing may be after the fact as opposed to now????
-----
EMAIL FROM ROBERT LACAMBRA:
Mar 21, 2011 at 8:52 PM
That was entirely expected. As I mentioned to you, I am being targeted by the FBI, Sheriff's Department and other agencies that find it in their interest to keep this story off the mainstream media. Current technologies make it easy to suppress data transmissions electronically resulting in intercepted messages that never get in the hands of its intended recipients. You should already know that by now. More importantly you sent your packet without my prior approval as we had previously agreed. Therefore, I must ask that you stop sending any information that pertains to me or any of my work. In the event that any members of the media were to contact you, you are instructed to forward all inquiries to me via electronic transmission. You are not to answer any questions for or in my behalf. Further dissemination of information may be construed as defaming to my character or to my work which potentially may be subject(s) to an action in civil court of competent jurisdiction.
-----
EMAIL FROM BUSINESS OWNER:
Mar 21, 2011 at 9:34 PM
You saw the last draft. Was there something wrong in it?
-----
EMAIL FROM PR PROFESSIONAL
Mar 22, 2011 at 8:49 AM
I will not send any further information out to any of the press agencies. I believe that the reason they are not responding is because the Earthquake and Tsunami hit at the same time that the story was sent out. Human tragedy always trumps human interest stories. I wrote the press release using only your first name so that your identity would be anonymous for the very reason that you stated. I apologize for not seeking approval first, as I wrote the release weighing heavily on the humanitarian efforts of the dental professionals as opposed to your plight. I will abide by your request to have all inquiries directed to you should there be any. It is my sincere hope that you are able to achieve all that you set out to do. Be well Robert.
-----
EMAIL FROM ROBERT LACAMBRA
Mar 22, 2011 at 1:01 PM
RE: REQUEST TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT EVIDENCE
As you may be aware, an action is currently in the process of being crafted against the FBI, OCSD and other organizations for violations of certain civil rights. The information that you have forwarded to the press community is material to this action. Having said that, herewith is a formal request for you and your organization to preserve and protect the integrity of any and all communication(s) made to the press community. This will include, but is not limited to, email, handwritten drafts, notes, facsimile copies, and other correspondences relating to the public relations campaign for Robert Lacambra, RobertsJustice and all other organizations that may have been mentioned. You are also instructed to forward the names of the organizations and people that you have sent a press kit to; the exact times in which you forwarded this information; the originating phone number or fax number; the recipients name(s), email address, phone number and/or email addresses; the names of the organization or associations in which any and all information was forwarded to. You may forward this at this time or await my formal requests as soon as the case(s) have been lodged.
There are ample case laws that specify the duty of the parties and non-parties to a legal action to preserve evidence. In Toste v. Lewis Controls Inc., the court held the following:
" ... the court delineated the scope of the litigant's duty to preserve evidence: While a litigant is under no duty to keep or retain every document in its possession once a complaint is filed, it is under a duty to preserve what it knows, or reasonably should know, is relevant in the action, is reasonably calculated to lead to discovery of admissible evidence." (Toste v. Lewis Controls, Inc. 1996 WL 101189 (N.D. Cal. Feb 27, 1996)
Likewise, be well.
-----
EMAIL FROM THE PR PROFESSIONAL
March 22, 2011 1:01 PM
Nothing that was sent out identifies you at all. The press release identifies 00. 000000 and 0000000 you are not a party to the campaign. Furthermore, I am not involved in an organization; I wrote a story about two 00000000000000000000 who were doing a good deed in their community as a favor to them.
-----
Somewhere in this story there exists a fib!
