Interesting conundrum, but I don't think I agree with your conclusion. You should apply for the job and see whether you even get an interview. You don't reveal the job spec, but I assume that it would involve building relationships with the media and promoting a positive view of the service. You do that now, so that part shouldn't be a problem. Most grown ups know that nothing is perfect and would like balance. You do manage to do that - as on that stupid BBC R5 programme. In the private sector, no management wants to do less than a perfect job, but reality means making difficult choices and compromises, usually involving allocation of scarce resources. I imagine that it is no different for the LAS. The difficulty would be if you, as a PR man, were told to defend the indefensible. That would be a real dilemma, but a pro PR type wouldn't. If s**t had hit the fan over something, a good PR type would try to project what is being done to fix it and to focus on the positive - on behalf of the poor sods who are doing the fixing. The meeja don't like fixes and they don't [want to] understand real problems. All they want is soundbites and headlines focusing on catastrophes. Could you deal with that? It isn't necessarily that PR types are fundamentally evil - it is that they are obliged to deal with 'customers' who can be. Some would make your worst calls to date seem easy; stabbing, shooting & bludgeoning comes in different forms & these guys always aim for your back. You should apply just to see if they think you have something to offer. You might & you might not; it may well be that you don't get an interview, but I suspect it would be because others from a 'trade' background might be better candidates. Give it a go . .