Read about Justin Bieber’s public relations presence told by the PRSSA Blog Team.
By: Lindsay Wishnew
When Justin Bieber was discovered in 2007 by Scooter Braun, his image was squeaky clean. His bowl cut, baby face, un-tatted body and high pitch voice all added up to a tween and teenage heartthrob. Abrupt success led to Bieber being forced to grow up in the spotlight, resulting in countless scandals.
Since 2012, Bieber has had several run-ins with law enforcement that were highly 
publicized. In July of 2012, Bieber was pulled over for reckless driving in Los Angeles. In 2013, he was accused of vandalism in Brazil. In January 2014, Bieber was arrested while racing his Lamborghini on the streets of Miami. The toxicology report showed THC and Xanax in his system. Bieber was 19 at the time. In July 2014, he was charged with one count of misdemeanor after egging his neighbor’s home.
In 2013, Bieber was the host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live to promote his Believe album and tour. He allegedly lived up to his high-maintenance reputation. SNL cast members Kate McKinnon and Bill Hader both stated that Bieber was an unpleasant guest on the show. His performance was highly criticized as well. In 2014, several videos surfaced of Bieber telling a racist joke and using the n-word multiple times. While Bieber did publicly apologize, the videos were widely spread and damaged his image. Just last week he posted a nude photo of himself on Instagram, which he has done several times in the past. Bieber also recently canceled his meet and greets for his 2016 Purpose Tour.
And how could we forget his controversial relationship scandals? From 2010 to 2013 Bieber was publicly on and off with fellow singer Selena Gomez. Earlier this year, it was speculated that he was dating model Hailey Baldwin. Later, rumors swarmed about Bieber and reality star Kourtney Kardashian, who is 36.
In a matter of years, Justin Bieber went from boy next door to bad boy. Despite all of the negative press coverage and poor choices Justin Bieber has made, he has been associated with positive causes, as well as booming success. Bieber is an active supporter of Pencils of Promise, a nonprofit organization that builds schools in developing countries. He also supports PETA, the nonprofit animal rights organization. In 2007, with a large fan base and a boy next-door image, I doubt Bieber’s team had any idea what they were in for. Justin Bieber recently released his new album Purpose which debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Top 100 Chart and is going on tour this year. Will Bieber be able to turn his image around? Only time will tell.
Sources:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-25863200
http://www.ew.com/article/2014/06/01/justin-bieber-racist-joke-nword-video
Ithaca College PRSSA 