Amid recession, PR and ad firms battle over new media turf: ‘Only the strongest will survive’

Can you feel the tension between PR and advertising firms brought on by both the recession and the emergence of social media? “For decades, the division of labor was clear,” wrote Clifford M. Marks for the Miami Herald . “Madison Avenue types took care of the 30-second spots, the billboards and the full-page ad in Sunday’s paper. Their cousins in public relations drafted press releases, networked with reporters to land favorable coverage and helped handle crises that drew negative media…