I saw two options. Either start snapping the shutter and pressing the flesh and risk the old "Who the fuck are you?" treatment, or attempt to be above-board and identify myself as a freelance photographer and writer, which I am. In the sweltering jungles of Cambodia, where I received my baptism by fire as a journalist and aspiring heroin addict, I learned that, as a reporter, you play it straight with your subjects, and that's exactly what I did with Ronn (sic) Torossian.

BAD FUCKING IDEA!

I walked up to him and said, "Hey there, I'm a freelance writer and photographer, you mind if I start taking some shots?"

He asked me who I write for, and I told him I've written for the New York Times, the New York Post, and Time Out, all of which is true. But then he asked me if I was there on an assignment, and I hesitantly replied in the affirmative.

"Who assigned you," Mr. Grammar (sic) Torossian pressed.

It was like the world went dark, and I heard the cries of a thousand anguished souls burning and writhing in the Spirit World.

"Gawker."

I honestly thought he might serve me an ass-kicking right on the spot, but at first all he did was tell me not to take any pictures. He then disappeared from the conference room, though, and I had a feeling he was about to affect my ejection, which he did.

"Nothing personal, but do you read Gawker's posts on me?"

I did not say, "Yes, and they're just delicious!"

I did not say, "Yes, it's really refreshing to see an asshole actually being held accountable for his ineptitude, meanness of spirit, and thuggish behavior."

I tried to reason with him, to explain I was just there to ask questions, not do a back-alley hatchet job. That I wrote for the Times in 1958 once, and that I have my reputation as a failed journalist to protect.

"You could tell CNN that I am God, but I'm not going to let you cover this event. You'll get a good story out of this about how you were bounced." (I hadn't considered that angle until he suggested it.)

"There's no discussion about this," a security guy in a bad blazer chimed in.

So, I left, disoriented. I looked at my hand and saw I still had a water bottle from 5W's kitchen.

I walked down 6th Avenue feeling like I had let the readers of Gawker down, that they now had to pay the price for my naïve, mid-western inclination – an inclination burnished in the sweltering jungles of Cambodia – to speak Truth to Publicists, and in particular to a publicist named Ronn (sic) Torossian.

Journalism!

The Sunday Times recently ran a damning investigative story on a lobbyist, and Ronn is here to offer up the other, less logical side of the argument:

• Lobbyists and PR firms are hired (PAID) to represent entities and to advocate on their behalf. It doesn't mean that they agree with the causes, but business is not academics, it is just business.

That's what gangsters say too.

• Having access and dropping names is a key part of business for lobbyists, PR firms and those of us in political life...Do friends not introduce one another for business? Is bringing a friend to golf, joining the country club or fraternity not about paying for access? Of course it is, and this is no different. He had access, and dropped names. That's not a scandal.

That's what gangsters say too.

• Many in the PR business are often too quiet about actions by an overzealous media attempting to make headlines and sell ink. Media oftentimes can endanger a client's business interests to the point of no return.

Those media: always trying to sell that ink! Perhaps someone should pay them a visit.

Other things that can endanger your business interests include lying on purpose, calling your employees synonyms for "vagina," and ensuring that all of your underlings are total clowns.

[Bulldog Reporter; pic via MB]

• "And lastly, business (and life) isn’t an “academic exercise”. It’s real – not theory or concept… not a fictitious name posted on a blog, but instead something very real and measured. Real business – real life – real dollars and cents. There are many who can criticize and nitpick which is easy… but working hard every day and building is a hell of a lot harder."

  (Is that an apology for this? Probably not.)

• "What is it that a brand can do to create enough mystique that there are pre-orders? Clearly Steve Jobs seems to have figured this out… I had the question myself this past Saturday during my 7 AM morning jog, when I saw tens of people lined up outside my local UWS movie theatre waiting for Batman."
• "Clients who need global reach can and should indeed get it, but not as a cooker cutter, but instead on a case by case basis."
• "The cure-all for the inflation problem in the ‘70s was that women went to work to supplement family income.

  [A client] said that, today, with 80-90 percent of women working, we no longer have a solution as simple as the one 30 years ago. So now, how can the economy get better; by sending our children to work? Surely not!
  Hence, the crisis facing today’s families as the economy struggles"

• "Every day of the week, I tell employees go out, create and do. It’s ok to occasionally make mistakes. Be passionate, care and try. Don’t over think. Do."

And our bonus tip for success: Learn how to write.

[Counterpoint, from Ronn's blog: "With very, very few exceptions, to say that I vastly disagree would be an understatement."]

Deleted by 5WPR:

In July 2008, his firm 5WPR was proven to have impersonated critics of a client and to have made phony comments on a blog in other people's names. The firm at first denied the allegations, then blamed the phony comments on an intern it claimed was fired. It was soon proven that the phony comments were in fact made from the offices of 5WPR as well as from the home of a Senior Vice President for the firm named Juda Engelmayer. Engelmayer claimed that the alleged renegade intern operated from his home as well as the office without his knowledge. The coverup soon unraveled and Torossian issued a statement acknowledging his firm's unethical practices. At least one person who was impersonated by 5WPR has stated his intention to sue the firm. It remains to be seen whether any criminal charges can or will be brought against Engelmeyer, Torossian or anyone else at 5WPR. http://www.forward.com/articles/13759/

[via Failed Messiah]

While traveling this week with my family out of the country, my IT department investigated accusations, which we have now learned to be true. A senior staff member failed to be transparent in dealing with client matters. He has taken full responsibility.

We have been in business since January 2003 – and according to O’Dwyer’s 2007 rankings our revenues exceeded $11.5M, and we are the 21st largest independent PR firm in the United States .

Growing companies often have problems in their expansion, and we continue to strive for the highest performance. We have instituted internal measures to ensure this cannot happen again. We continue to strive for the highest ethical standards.

This battle is not about blogging, it is however about protecting the highest levels of Kashrut in the Jewish community. We, as a firm. feel personally and professionally passionate about these and related issues. Critics of traditional Judaism, who have in recent days targeted the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, have chosen to smear the largest provider of the highest quality Kashrut meat in the world. We stand with protecting Kashrut.

[Failed Messiah]

By claiming he had an intern at his Lower East Side apartment at 10 pm on a Tuesday night, apparently. Said JTA:

A person identifying himself as the intern in question called JTA Thursday, but refused to provide a full name. The caller said that he posted the fraudulent comment to the JTA site using a computer at Engelmayer’s apartment during a get-together there Tuesday night, but without Engelmayer’s knowledge.

Now would be a good time to recap the various levels of incompetence in this whole 5WPR scheme:

• After being hired for its internet PR expertise, 5WPR attempts to plant fake comments from both supporters and (most deviously) critics of the kosher slaughterhouse on various websites.
• This scheme unravels because the company doesn't bother to leave its office or mask its IP address when posting.
• This scheme also unravels because the company misspells the name of a rabbi when signing a comment in that rabbi's name.
• CEO Ronn [sic] Torossian claims an "investigation" is under way to find out which of his employees spun a laughably incompetent Web of amoral deception in the service of flackery. This time.
• VP Engelmayer, assigned the slaughterhouse account, blames an unnamed, unpaid "intern" for the fraud. Says this "intern" has been fired.
• This story starts to unravel because, as blog Failed Messiah notes, the first two impersonation posts appeared in February, "well before any summer interns were working at 5W." Ahem.
• The story unravels further when two fraudulent Web comments are traced to Engelmayer's apartment.
• "Intern" calls to say he was hanging with Engelmayer at his apartment Tuesday night and slipped, undetected, onto Engelmayer's computer to do some impromptu character assassination, so don't blame Engelmayer because Engelmayer did not do it.
• Probably next: Caller comes forward as a paid shill. Engelmayer said he hired him on behalf of the intern, who is deathly afraid of the press, because that's the sort of person who takes an unpaid PR internship.

[JTA, Failed Messiah]

Two of the postings in question were made in the name of Rabbi Morris Allen, a prominent critic of Agriprocessors and the founder of the Conservative movement’s Hekhsher Tzedek initiative, which is attempting to create ethical standards for the production of kosher food. The first of the comments purporting to come from Allen appeared with his name misspelled. The second, which was made midday on July 9, came at the same time that Allen was presiding over the funeral of his aunt in Omaha, Neb.

Grade-A flackery, that.

Allen told the Forward that the postings left him concerned for his safety and for the reputation of Hekhsher Tzedek.

“I’m increasingly concerned about my own safety because if you begin to engage in this kind of behavior, I just wonder where it ends,” he said.

Now they plan to sue 5W! And the blogger who originally uncovered the trolls spoke to a 5W VP who blamed the entire thing on a foolish intern. We've emailed him also, but haven't heard back yet. We did hear back from Ronn late yesterday though, who said:

I am in mexico with my family. Just saw your note but as you have already posted, clearly my reply doesnt interest you. You seem to be obsessed with my firm.

Noted!

[Failed Messiah, The Forward]

FailedMessiah.com did a little poking around on the internets and found that—surprise!—a bunch of its stupid comments were coming from the same IP address. A 5WPR IP address.

Not only did 5W impersonate Rabbi Allen – a federal crime, by the way – it also impersonated JVNA officer John Diamond and frequent FailedMessiah commenter Yochanan Lavie – also federal crimes.

5W also left multiple comments on this blog using many different aliases. The comments were often left on the same post and used to support each other and Agriprocessors. But all comments originated from 5W Public Relations, Agriprocessors PR firm, even though the commenter(s) presented himself as a non-affilliated observer.

Here's an example of one of the comments, which certainly has that 5W flair:

You can look over the mounds of evidence of 5W's guilt here. If we hear from Ronn, we'll let you know. In the meantime, why not amuse yourself by looking back at the comments on our posts about Ronn and 5WPR and picking out the 5W trolls? I guarantee they're in there!

[FailedMessiah.com]

Pimping your own wedding out as a way to score media coverage: tacky? Yes, it is. And inexplicable. An editor at a prominent celebrity magazine forwards us the pitch:

Subject: My Destination Wedding would be a great story for your publication....

My name is Christine Garabedian. My finance and I are planning a destination wedding on March 7, 2009 in Miami Florida. We both live in the NY/NJ area and thought it would be really cool and fun to have our entire family and friends come down to Miami and celebrate our wedding. We have well over 100 people attending and have filled 3 days with activities including a cruise around Miami with a luau on the evening before the wedding, a golf outing, a 6 hour reception and a brunch to conclude the weekend.

This is our wedding website - [REDACTED. God, we are so nice]

We are also getting married in NY on Feb 21, 2009 so all those who cant make it to Florida can also be a part of our wedding.

As you can see our wedding is quite an experience for anyone attending and we are making sure it will be an unforgettable trip.

We have arranged fireworks, cigar rollers, bongo players and fire dancers to be a part of the celebration.

We are both 27 years old. I work as a Finance manager at a faced paced PR firm. I have a wedding planner in Miami who is EXTREMELY helpful.

We would love to be a part of your publication and share our fun filled experience with everyone.

I look forward to hearing from you!!

Pastor John Hagee said on Thursday that his controversial sermon, in which he said Hitler was fulfilling God's will for a state of Israel, had been "intentionally mischaracterized" and constituted a "gross example of bias." In a statement to The Huffington Post, he did not apologize for or distance himself from the sermon, saying simply that he had long grappled with how God "who controls what happens here on earth" could allow the Holocaust...

In his statement, which was provided by Hagee's New York-based PR firm, 5W Public Relations, the pastor cited his career devotion "to ensuring that there will never be a second Holocaust."

Ronn has long worked for Jewish causes and organizations. But maybe it was his flackery on behalf of disgraced evangelist Benny Hinn and FEMA champ Michael "Brownie" Brown that convinced Hagee to turn to him.

Or maybe he likes tough talkers who come with high recommendations.

Good luck, McCain! [UPDATE: And just like that, McCain has repudiated Hagee's endorsement! Hopefully not just because of his poor PR hiring practices.]

[via HuffPo]

But she lied about her age and pretended to be in the proper frame of mind to give consent, so maybe Team Francis scores some points in Dupre's $10 million suit against Girls Gone Wild for releasing the video under her name and without permission, and under false pretenses. I'm not sure. In fact, a supercomputer somewhere is probably furiously trying to calculate how the moral high ground is altered by this tipsy future hooker's videotaped and misleading consent, given five years ago, to be in a cheap, flash-your-tits DVD produced by a guy who would later go to jail in connection with a case against him for allegedly making racy videos of underaged girls.

In the meantime, enjoy the brief video below, in which Jersey girl Dupre takes on a southern accent picked up in North Carolina, where she went to high school, and uses the assumed name Amber Arpaio to declare she is ready to Go Wild.

By the way, Girls Gone Wild appears to have retained public relations firm 5WPR to disseminate this video. The firm excluded tips@gawker.com from its distribution list. We're kind of hurt. Was it something we said? Everything we said? Awesome! Anyway, pro tip: This is not how you spell "permission," although we're guessing Joe Francis did not catch the slip:

HERE IT IS- ASHLEY/ KRISTEN IN HER OWN WORDS-GIVING PERMISSON TO BE VIDEO-TAPED BY GGW

"As the gas prices sky rocket and the housing market cools down to

a standstill companies are looking for ways to hold on to customers

while the economy recovers. How do businesses operate inside of a

volatile market and keep hold of their customers? Long Island based

car shop, Unique Auto Sports has mastered that formula and retains

its long list of celebrity clientele along with its normal

customers through is 10 year track record of impeccable customer

service."

5WPR.

For me, it's a given that all organizations (including the US military) attempt to "spin" what the public sees and educate and influence spokespeople who appear in the media. It's not deception any more than the political candidates who are trained to respond in a certain way, nonprofit organizations that routinely use one set of statistics instead of another or CEOs who are media trained on a daily basis by their PR firms.

Agnostic!

It's not at all a surprise to me that the ex-military personnel in this article have ties to people and companies in the defense industry, and in fact, benefit from it financially. (How else would one retired from the military earn a living?)

I have no idea!

· The New York Times wrote of commentators "losing access" if they spoke negatively. While that sounds sinister, in reality, PR 101 would tell anyone to grant access to individuals more likely to speak positively. (Think Hillary Clinton or Obama is granting a lot of time to Commentary Magazine? Think the New York Yankees are allowing a Boston Globe sports reporter unfettered locker room access?)

Probably, yes!

In reality, reporters and PR people have a give-and-take relationship. It only makes sense that "unfriendly" interests won't be granted access. Why not grant access to someone more likely to say nice things? This is true in any business, and yes, war, government and politics is business.

Okay! How to sum up the argument?

This statement makes sense to me: "The intent and purpose of this is nothing other than an earnest attempt to inform the American people," Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, said. It was, Mr. Whitman added, "a bit incredible" to think retired military officers could be "wound up" and turned into "puppets of the Defense Department."

Spin, Spin, Spin.

Fast growing NYC based PR firm with approximately 80 professionals seeks qualified HR Director. This person will interact with senior management and will be responsible for implementing and managing a diverse HR program featuring strong recruitment duties. This is an extremely important position with significant growth potential. We welcome confident candidates to submit their credentials, cover letter and salary requirements.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Process a variety of HR-related paperwork (e.g., payroll, benefits, new hire) according to established procedures; ensure HR forms are completed and processed appropriately.
- Maintain and input employee changes, new hire information, and termination information into HRIS.
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and company guidelines.
- Draft employee related HR communications for CEO's review and/or create communications to ensure effective, accurate, and timely dissemination of information.
- Assist with payroll and benefits administration, follow-up on outstanding issues, and investigate employees' inquiries.
- Screen resumes and interview candidates for positions of all levels.
- Generate various HR-related reports for management as requested.
- Maintain a variety of hardcopy and softcopy HR records and files.
- Assist with special projects as needed.
- Maintain an understanding of the PR industry, competitive firms and understand how and where to recruit in this industry

Qualifications must include:

* Possess excellent communication skills
* Have a flexible management style
* Maintain strong interpersonal skills for interaction with both management and staff
* Minimum of 10 to 15 years experience in management
* Organizational and Management skills
* Demonstrate the ability to supervise administrative staff and other firm activities
* Have recruiting skills for administrative and professional staff
* Self motivated

SKILLS:
- Strong organizational and project management skills.
- Excellent interpersonal and written and verbal communication skills.
- Good listening skills and ability to interact with all levels of employees and display genuine interest and respect for people and their concerns.
- Detail-oriented, self-starter able to work calmly and flexibly in order to respond to changing priorities.
- General knowledge of the various federal, state, and local laws and regulations relative to labor and employment issues (e.g. FLMA, COBRA, ERISA, FLSA, etc.).
- Strong pc skills, preferably MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and knowledge of HRIS.

Email resumes to: directorhrpr@gmail.com

Dear Gawker:

Last night I, and another senior manager of 5W, sat with Hamilton Nolan, because we wanted to speak with the person who harbored such venom for my firm. To say the recent blogs are mistruths are a huge understatement. It's virtually impossible that there are few, if any, on- the-record sources, and I am now certain that Nolan is harboring a vendetta armed with "unsubstantiated" and "Anonymous" posters comprised of evidently jealous individuals.

First off, it is imperative for everyone to understand the origin of Nolan's animosity. It started in 2004 when he was a reporter at PRWEEK. Hamilton was assigned to cover Ronn Torossian on a story about self promotion with in the PR industry. Nolan then decided it was his right to start contacting 5W clients for comment. That is and was completely unacceptable behavior from an industry trade reporter, and Ronn refused any additional comment. Let me know which PR firm CEO would stand idly by and let a reporter contact clients without permission. This was the origin and now we jump to the present. On an almost hourly basis we read about the monster that is Ronn Torossian and 5W house of horror.

At 5W, we read these posts, all negative of course, and we have tested the source. Yes Hamilton , we have sent numerous posts, responses and few to none ever make it up on the "comment" section. Go figure! At the restaurant last night Hamilton said, I welcome your letter... well here it is.

In the post regarding working at 5W, which all those anonymous people say is so bad, you have nothing but blatant lies.

Per Gawker on March 11... "Among the feedback we've gotten:"

* 5W's turnover may be even higher than Gawker's. Some employees like to refer to "Fired Fridays." The turnover rate at the junior level, especially, is described as "ridiculously high." One former employee says "having a child would have been more pleasant" than her time at 5W.

Turnover is in fact the opposite as posted; with promotions, bonuses and raises bestowed to staff with incredible frequency. In fact, three years in a row, The Holmes Report named 5W one of the best firms in the country to work for. It's interesting with "all" of the supposed criticism there isn't any employee (or former) employee of 5W who has gone on the record. Many staffers, including myself and most of the firm's Sr. Vice Presidents and Vice Presidents have been on board for years.

* Those who sit close to Ronn's office are subjected to overhearing "many rants and arguments."

There is no yelling and screaming at the firm. We don't allow it nor do we tolerate it. Ronn, in fact, assigns management improvement reading to his senior staff. The most recent book distributed was "The No Asshole Rule" which discusses how management must be decent.

* Ronn forced his staff to endure "Q&A sessions" in which he "would simply talk about himself."

I never thought breakfast with CEO for new staffers was a punishment. The fact that once a month Ronn takes new employees to breakfast is trait that should be mimicked and not frowned up. That he introduces himself and offers a history of the firm is expected.

* On business trips, some employees were asked to stay with friends to save the company the cost of a hotel room.

A complete and utter lie! I would never - unless there were absolutely no rooms available in the hotel - ask employees to share rooms. Some staffers have volunteered to stay with family or friends because they might live close by, but they would never be asked to do anything that creates discomfort. I deem it inappropriate.

* Although reporters frequently complain about being driven crazy by PR spam from 5W, the company management's strategy has been articulated as: "bcc the shit out of everyone."

The last remark is directly attributable to me, and it had absolutely no reference to the media... it referenced Ronn and myself, and our request to be copied on emails. This is so that we as managers are able to stay in the loop on all accounts. Furthermore, we constantly discuss the need to be focused and targeted with our media outreach - even to the point of specifically sending staff notes about NOT spamming or mass emailing to media lists.

* 5W does not pay overtime to low-level employees, in violation of labor law; that Ronn has docked employees for a full day's pay, or a vacation day, for being 15 minutes late to work, causing several people to resign; and that employees don't get proper comp time after working 7 days in a row or more.

5W has one hourly employee, everyone else is salaried. We are in full compliance with Federal, State and City labor laws. No one has ever been docked for being 15 minutes late to work, not even an hour. No one has resigned ever due to being docked pay. As for comp time - no one works seven days in a row, and when someone has to work late for a client, they are permitted to come in later or take equal time off.

So let's review the facts... 5W Public Relations has grown from 1 person to 85 people in five years. If Ronn was such a pariah, then he would never have made PR WEEK 40 under 40, Adage 40 under 40, or asked to speak at all the prominent PR industry trade events. Just last week, the firm was named the 21st largest independent PR firm in the U.S. and we maintain incredible media relationships, with the exception of this one blogger!

We at 5W Public Relations secure top-notch media coverage for our clientele on a daily basis. We work with emerging brands to Fortune 100 corporations. We are an INC 500 Company. Our employees are the most important component of the firm and their enthusiasm and work ethic are what drives our success. Yes we work hard and yes we are not the easiest place to work, but if you are invited to join this firm you will certainly grow and prosper.

Sincerely

Adam Handelsman

Executive Vice President, Partner

5W Public Relations

All,

I am sure you have seen http://gawker.com/367599/former-potential-client-now-finds-ronn-%5Bsic%5D-torossian-nauseating.

Wanted to let you know that I am just as surprised as you at the piece that ran today.

Thus far, my company has managed to avoid playing in the rumor mongering/gossip slinging blog sandbox, but I guess working in new media in NYC means such exposure is inevitable. Realize the email that the post above was based on was not approved by me, nor was I aware of it until I was just forwarded the link .

I have a deep respect for how thorough the 5WPR team was in presenting a PR strategy for OTR and theU.com. As a private individual, Stephanie is entitled to email colleagues with industry feedback, although I have to say I am disappointed in the way she involved us in your ongoing Gawker saga (but at the same time not sure she knew her email was going to end up getting published).

Please realize that the email Stephanie sent (I was just shown a copy) also praised the thorough preparation of the 5W team. Quoting from the email: "I must admit: the materials 5W presented were impressive. They obviously spent time researching the company and outlining potential strategies." The negative portion was a small part of what she said, but obviously the portion Gawker focused on.

Many apologies: I did not wish to add to your headaches.

-Doug

—
Doug Imbruce, CEO

Ronn talks to the press today about his lawsuit against his former HR director Melissa Weiss—or, as Ronn calls her, "YOU STUPID CUNT." Ronn tells PRWeek [Disclosure: where I used to work] that Weiss' charges of labor violations at 5WPR are false, and that Weiss "was fired for actively trying to poach employees to other agencies," not as retaliatory measure for doing her job. He also "declined to discuss the authenticity" of his shouty, insulty emails to Weiss. Duly noted.

In the wake of the publication of those emails, Ronn's old acquaintances are coming out and expressing their (hard) feelings about him. Today, a selection from PR pro Ann Higgins, blogging at The Ethical Optimist:

I had the distinct displeasure in working with Ronn for a brief period of time at KCSA. He did, in fact, embody the worst idea about a PR professional and a manager. In fact, I would up telling my CEO that I refused to work with him...which did not sit well. It was also probably the only time in my career that I have cussed out a co-worker...

At the higher echelons of the public relations industry, it's a fairly small world. Your word and your reputation count, even among your competitors. Ronn's is basically Mudd, and has been for a long time. Now, with the radioactive half life afforded by the Web, his infamy is available for all — prospective employees, clients, etc., — to see ... for some time to come.

This was evidenced by no less than 20 emails and links I received from colleagues and folks who'd also worked for Ronn when the Gawker.com piece hit. Each forward was preceded by a comment along the lines of, "couldn't happen to a nicer guy...haha."

His publicist, Ronn Torossian, said the jiggle-happy entrepreneur planned to return to his home in Los Angeles later tonight.

"He's looking forward to watching Girls Gone Wild movies and is excited about the launch of the magazine," the rep said. "We're going to be doing some things tonight in L.A. with family and friends."

[via E! Online]

Among the feedback we've gotten:

• 5W's turnover may be even higher than Gawker's. Some employees like to refer to "Fired Fridays." The turnover rate at the junior level, especially, is described as "ridiculously high." One former employee says "having a child would have been more pleasant" than her time at 5W.

• Those who sit close to Ronn's office are subjected to overhearing "many rants and arguments."

• Ronn forced his staff to endure "Q&A sessions" in which he "would simply talk about himself."

• As the bad press about Ronn has piled up, members of his staff have asked him to stay out of the public eye. But, of course, "Ronn does not heed their advice. Ever."

• On business trips, some employees were asked to stay with friends to save the company the cost of a hotel room.

• Although reporters frequently complain about being driven crazy by PR spam from 5W, the company management's strategy has been articulated as: "bcc the shit out of everyone."

• 5W's LA office, opened in 2005 to give Ronn a plausible identity as a bicoastal PR maven, is struggling. We hear that it's gone through three general managers in a year, and that its headcount is at an all-time low—fewer than ten employees. What's the reason? Besides a bunch of unhappy employees with no leadership, it could have something to do with the rumor that the office's management "condoned" a staff event with a male stripper, which was described as "extremely embarrassing"—particularly for the lone male employee attending.

It's important to understand why we—and others—talk about Ronn Torossian so much. He and his firm are far from the biggest players in the PR industry, so it may seem strange that he gets so much attention. The real reason he matters is that he embodies the public's worst ideas about what a PR person is: loud, brash, more flash than substance, dirty, manipulative, amoral, and, in the end, not particularly bright. The real movers and shakers in the PR industry achieved their positions partly by keeping their mouths shut. That doesn't make them better people than Ronn, but it does make them wiser.

Most people would be surprised to find out how much time the average PR person spends worrying about their industry's reputation as a den of lying bastards. Ronn has the touchiness, but not the reflective nature, of his peers. A few years ago I wrote an article in PRWeek calling him a self-promoter (a vast understatement), and we haven't gotten along ever since. Each of us thinks the other is a jerk; I'm happy with that, and I assume he is too.

Mention 5W or Ronn to most people in the PR industry, and you will draw a chuckle or a roll of the eyes. Mention him to most reporters who have been the recipients of his ALL CAPS, nonsensical email blasts , and you'll draw an even worse reaction. When I covered the PR industry for three years at PRWeek, I don't recall ever hearing any unqualified praise of Ronn from anyone who was off the record. That's not normal. He gets more press for himself than just about anybody else in PR, and consequently, has a huge effect on how people perceive the industry as a whole. And that drives a lot of people crazy, because he is just a terrible representative. Although, it must be said, he is colorful, and provides good copy—he embraces the (misguided) "all press is good press" philosophy, even if his peers wish he didn't.

Hopefully, the emails below are evidence enough for the world to see exactly why Ronn inspires the feelings that he does. He will often brag about building his firm from the ground up, and his claims are true; to the extent that you admire unbridled entrepreneurship independent of any social value, you should admire Mr. Torossian. But fundamentally, he's a hustler; and, as a PR professional, he has no idea what he's doing.

According to Melissa Weiss' lawyer, she found out soon after she was hired at 5W last month that Ronn was violating the law by miscategorizing employees and not paying them overtime. "Ms. Weiss reported these violations to Mr. Torossian and he threatened to fire her and any employee not happy with their status," her lawyer writes. "Soon thereafter, Ms. Weiss was terminated and her final pay was withheld, leading her to bring a small claims action for her earned pay."

Weiss' story is not an unfamiliar one. We've received tips telling us the same thing. Among the claims, tipsters say that 5W does not pay overtime to low-level employees, in violation of labor law; that Ronn has docked employees for a full day's pay, or a vacation day, for being 15 minutes late to work, causing several people to resign; and that employees don't get proper comp time after working 7 days in a row or more.

On March 1, Ronn sent Weiss the following email, titled "YOUR CLAIMS":

On March 7—last Friday, the same day that Torossian leaked his own lawsuit against Weiss—he sent her this email:

After Weiss got this "CUNT" message, her lawyer sent a cease-and-desist email to Ronn and his attorney. In it, he noted, "Ms. Weiss will be commencing further claims against 5W and Mr. Torossian individually. Furthermore, Ms. Weiss previously notified the Department of Labor of 5W's labor violations and we will be cooperating with their investigation to the fullest extent."

To that message, Ronn responded to Weiss and her attorney with this:

In short, a man who makes his living giving strategic advice to other people responded to a legal email by calling his former employee a "cunt," and including her attorney on the email. Not much needs to be added to that.

We will note that Ronn does have his defenders—mainly, himself, and (some of) his current employees. Christine Garabedian, a five-year employee of 5W, writes us to say Ronn is an "amazing boss," adding, "To anyone who would say 'wow this girl obviously has been brain washed' YOU ARE DEAD WRONG."

About Melissa Weiss, Garabedian writes:

Melissa Weiss came to 5W in 2008 and immediately began asking me "how can you take it here?". As the HR director are these types of questions appropriate? I suddenly began to think that maybe Melissa was jealous of my success at 5W. As a 30 something, single women who still has her parents address listed on her taxes to avoid paying NYC taxes, I could see how she would be jealous of a successful 27 year old who is happy at her job. I love that she is so happy to say that 5W doesn't follow regulations when she is the one cheating the government...

PS Melissa I just got engaged- Now are you even more jealous of me :)

Classic 5WPR.

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