Virtual Reality work in progress

In 1999, the Hill and Knowlton PR firm unveiled their newest project, The Virtual Crisis, which was to simulate a crisis on an interactive CD-ROM. The 6-hour simulation needed two specifically trained H&K facilitators that worked with about 20 corporate team players. Along with supplying the gamers with a virtual situation, it provided them with a comprehensive oral critique of the participants’ decisions and responses. The “game” cost $10,000 and it was used mainly by top executives that when called upon, would be able to act and communicate the right response during a crisis situation.
The Virtual Crisis was developed by H&K managing director Richard Hyde, and allowed for participants to learn specific strategies that would allow them to ward off the media while concurrently coping with an entire set of other distractions.
Pretty amazing.
I’ve also read that Kamer-Singer & Associates used the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill as their mockup crisis situation. The staff and employees of the company’s internal PR group played the role of environmental activists, politicians, aggrieved residents, and skeptical reporters.
Apparently this virtual simulation helps PR people to deal with high stress situations and high emotions that can exasperate the original problem. It allows for practice because real crisis' are highly risky. Apparently the program makes several different scripts in which the conclusion always minimizes the corporate culpability.

Obviously.
Another interesting point, I was looking up the oil spill on Wikipedia, and one of the last lines of the article states “WikiScanner discovered changes made from within Exxon Mobil altering this article's descriptions of the oil spill and downplaying its severity.”
I wonder which department tamperd with the facts.. 

In the words of Albert Einstein, "A clever person solves the problem, a wise person avoids it." 

I think throughout my blogging, I may have come across quite harshly towards the PR industry, but I believe its because I'm trying to understand the business. I am trying to see both sides of the story, and throughout my research I have discovered good and bad PR. In all, I have understood that there are experts who are working for the corporate interest, and there are experts and non-experts who are working for the public interest. I have learned that we may never know the truth, and that the truth will come in many forms. The only way to really ever be satisfied with anything you read is by questioning the information that is given to you. 

References:

Wikipedia :Exxon Valdez Oil Spill". www.wikipedia.org