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The conversation, lead by Forbes magazine publisher Rich Karlgaard, touched upon an eclectic mix of topics one of which included her decision to immediately fire Larry Summers if she were ever to become President (which drew applause from the crowd.) However, Huffington also spent some time discussing sensationalism and the media in regards to the “Balloon Boy” phenomenon.  She admitted she did not allow the story to grace the top pages of The Huff Post in order to challenge the fundamental disconnect between real stories that matter and sensationalism.  “Wasn’t the boy found in the attic? Why are we still calling him the ‘Balloon Boy’ and not the ‘Attic Boy,” Huffington joked.

The Churchill Club, Microsoft Campus, Mountain View, CA

As PR professionals, it is often expected from us to create splashy headlines and generate hype for our clients – whether that means dumping a hundred body bags in front of a leading tobacco company or having Paris Hilton holding your product in a tiny black bikini. Let’s face it, fear and sex sells, right? Maybe not.  Sensationalism does not sell as many papers as it used to. In the age of Facebook and Twitter, all it takes is a few clicks between friend statuses to see through the cloud of sensationalist headlines to find the real stories that matter.

Alexander Bie and Arianna Huffington

And in the end, does sensationalism help or hurt our cause? When groups like PETA attack people with red paint or dump animal carcasses on cars, the question one must ask is, what message are they really getting across? Do these actions really benefit the ethical treatment of animals?

As PR pros, we need to know when sensational PR strategies will work for our clients and when they won’t. When they do work, they can be rather powerful, but most of the time, taking the sensational road causes more harm than good.