I was amazed by PR Week's lead story today: 'Banking industry lashes out at negative media coverage'.

It quotes the British Bankers' Association's comms director Lesley McLeod criticising many journalists for not understanding the issues.

In my time as a PR manager in the banking industry, I worked with Lesley from time to time and regarded her as a professional spokesperson for the industry. I don't underestimate the huge challenge facing the BBA, and think chief executive Angela Knight has raised the association's game since joining two years ago.

But PR Week's article reflects badly on the banks. While I know how tough it is explaining complex issues to general reporters, the huge irony is that the banks themselves failed to understand their own activities, leading to the sorry state we all find ourselves in. The industry is in no position to lecture the media on a lack of understanding. And although I have criticised commentators like Robert Peston for revelling in gloom, it's hard to imagine how banking PR professionals could take issue with negative reporting of the sector given the daily stream of disastrous developments at many of our top banks. To paraphrase Clement Attlee, a period of silence (rather than protest) would be most welcome.