Richard Edelman 'stunned' by 5WPR CEO Ronn Torossian's hidden ownership of Everything-PR

Edelman global CEO Richard Edelman published a scathing blog post this week critical of 5WPR CEO Ronn Torossian and his hidden ownership of Everything-PR.

Torossian did not disclose his ownership of the site, which was marketed as a PR trade news site but was instead run by his PR firm and regularly criticized 5W's competitors for an advantage, according to Crain's New York Business.  

Edelman said he was "stunned" and "nauseated" by the revelation of Torossian's involvement and called it "simply unacceptable" that employees of 5W were posing as journalists. 

"Our industry is still recovering from the dark arts campaign conducted by Bell Pottinger on behalf of a client seeking to undermine a sovereign state," Edelman wrote. "Now, we discover that one of our own in the industry has long been operating a website to savage competitors while touting its own work and clients."

Torossian apologized and previously said that media coverage of him is not reflective of the reality of who he is today, nor does it "represent the amazing work and dedication of the professionals that make up our team today." 

Edelman called the apology "hollow and unbecoming," brushing aside Torossian's excuses as a betrayal of professional ethics that casts doubt on the industry. 

"It is a mistaking of competitive zeal for contempt of truth," Edelman writes. "It is a perversion of media that takes advantage of the weakness of the system to issue disinformation worthy of the Kremlin."

Edelman told PRWeek that Torossian’s actions are even worse than the Bell Pottinger scandal and will set the PR industry back. 

"He engaged in disinformation and did it as a matter of competitive advantage," Edelman said. "I'm competitive; we're all competitive, but that's not ok, and it shouldn't be allowed to pass."  

In his blog post, Edelman warned clients about "the siren song of the subterranean and subtle," saying there are no shortcuts in PR's commitment to ethics.  

"The best campaigns are premised on transparency and action, with substantive change that improves society, well expressed in communication," he said. 

Torossian could not be reached for additional comment.

The PRSA-New York board of directors also condemned Torossian's actions, calling them "a cowardly and blatant violation of PRSA's Code of Ethics." 

Edelman suggested PRSA incorporate the Page Principles set forth by the Arthur W. Page Center into the organization's APR accreditation program. Edelman said he will review his agency's own training materials to ensure his team members are guided by the principles as well. 

"We need to do this now for our current and future leaders in the profession," he said. 

Edelman stopped short of calling for Torossian's resignation, but told PRWeek he is hopeful the Federal Trade Commission will look into the matter.