If it's on the Internet or in an Infographic, it Must be True… Right?

I received an email today that linked me to a blog post that made my head want to explode.

It is a PR infographic from Beth Monaghan that shows “how things [in PR] have changed, and what will always remain.”  I don’t know Beth, but she seems like an experienced and intelligent professional. Unfortunately, this infographic is moronic.

I understand the desire to simplify complex topics into elementary visuals.  I get it.  But we are professional communicators.  We have a responsibility to our industry to communicate the “whole truth,” not just the highlights.

According to the Infographic:  Once upon a time we had big computers, now we have small computers.  In the past we had direct mail, now we have text messages.  In the days of yore we had journalists, now we have bloggers.  Yesterday we had the evening news, now we have Twitter. And it goes on and on like this.

Seriously?  YouTube has replaced TV?  Infographics have replaced Excel spreadsheets? Facebook has replaced the focus group?  In what parallel universe did all this happen?

I know that digital marketers and inbound marketers and social media marketers and search marketers really, really, really want the world to believe that the past is dead and only the future exists, but life just isn’t that black and white. And shame on all of you for presenting such a narrow view of our industry.

The reality is of course somewhere in the middle… somewhere in the many shades of grey.  Business people still read magazines and newspapers.  Consumers still watch TV and listen to the radio.  Journalists still exist and they still read news releases.  Direct mail is still driving awareness and sales.  People still attend in-person events and shows and concerts.  And people read blogs and post on Facebook and shop online.

Maybe one day we will actually be where this infographic says we are, though I suspect by then a new breed of professionals will be talking about how Twitter is so old school and has clearly been replaced by RealTime and SpaceShare.

And so it goes…