Media Monday: Are You Ready?

Media Monday: Are You Ready?

By Nicole Hayes

This Monday was a media feast as cable news networks had “breaking news” segments seemingly every hour. At least three major news stories had viewers glued: 1-  A fourth woman named in the Herman Cain sexual harassment scandal held a live press conference in New York and revealed details of inappropriate sexual conduct she received from Cain (She did this with noted women’s rights attorney and pit bull Gloria Allred at her side). 2- Penn State University spokespersons scrambled to address child sex abuse allegations against a former assistant football coach and  deal with those who allegedly knew about the incidents and did not intervene. 3- A “guilty of involuntary manslaughter” verdict was rendered to Dr. Conrad Murray in the five-week long trial for drug overdose death of Michael Jackson.

Monday’s breaking headlines continually remind us that crises are potentially certain, and your message, response and strategy for successfully moving through also needs to be certain. Incidentally, Cain and his team were sucker-punched the Monday before when the initial story broke of sexual harassment allegations against him. So is PR still necessary? Obviously so. Social media has its role but there is no replacement for the effective, ethical, prepared and seasoned communicator to manage media events. Even with a sunny forecast, rain can sneak in and interrupt our plans. Are you armed with your umbrella to calmly face whatever the day brings? Or will you be running in your good suit, looking foolish, drenched and seeking cover? Be ready for the crisis.

This November 3, 2011 article  “10 Reasons PR Still Matters” by Doug Flora of Morristown Communications, reminds us that the media is always chomping at the bit for a good crisis. How long that story remains a “crisis” is up to you.

Inside Intelligence (Business Practices): Crisis Communications & The Silver Bullet

Crisis Communications & The Silver Bullet

Ever wonder why the Titanic sank? 

Those in a position to address the problem before it became the worst sea disaster of the 20^th Century chose denial and pretense over confronting the flaw head on.  Corporate competition, unregulated industry and the demand to emerge with the biggest and the best were at the root of the disaster. http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2008/10/03/the-titanic-s-last-secret.html

The net results of the Titanic’s travail spin the perfect storm for lessons in crisis communications. Decades after the ship sank, the story is still being told.

A recent post on crisis communications urged “four Cs”  – being quick to Communicate, Candid, keeping things in Context and striving for Consistency.   

http://www.prsa.org/Intelligence/Tactics/Articles/view/9305/1034/Being_creative_in_the_face_of_crisis_How_innovatio

Beyond those cautionary tools, the silver bullet is a fifth C: Contrition. 

I always watch in amazement when crisis blow up in the media.  The individual or organization in the center of the storm seems trapped in a typhoon that whirls around and tosses them and their reputation in the air like a hapless rag doll.

Slick tactics and innovative moves can’t replace the low-tech, high touch power of humility. The calm in the storm is true confession (the sixth C), not flailing efforts to parse the truth or cover up one lie with new ones. When your hands are caught in the cookie jar it’s too late to wipe away the crumbs. Looking adversity in the eye, admitting to the transgression and taking the hit for the deed that was done is the best way to de-fang opponents, change the subject and then move on.  “I was wrong” is usually the silver bullet.  The human nature of public opinion is generally kind.  Only a brute dares to kick someone when their down, especially after waving a white flag and uttering the refrain: “I’m sorry.”  

Back to the business of crisis communication.  The most effective pros collect their fees, not because of smoke and mirrors, but because the bad stuff never surfaced in the public eye, or only resided there for a moment. Good crisis communications is the art of maintaining the status quo.

Weiner, Perceived Golden Boy Who Missed a Golden Rule

Weiner, Perceived Golden Boy Who Missed a Golden Rule

Read today’s Huffington Post article for latest on Weiner’s story, “Anthony Weiner Photos Fallout: House Democrats Hope Scandal-Plagued Congressman Will Resign”

Anyone with access to broadcast, print or online media knows the Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) story of “my Twitter account was hacked,” following lewd photos of him tweeted to a 21-year-old woman, that instantly went public. When the story broke two weeks ago, Weiner’s first line of defense was one of arrogance (how dare the media pester me with such questions) and victimization (“someone had fun with my last name, played a prank on me”). For nearly 10 days, Weiner lied to media, his constituents and the American public suggesting someone ‘doctored’ photos to implicate him in this disturbing online sexting behavior.

The media, insatiable and unsatisfied with what smelled like lies, continued digging into and unraveling Weiner’s story. The lie slapped him in the face on June 6, 2011, forcing him to call a late afternoon national press conference where he shamefully admitted he lied and sent the photo—no one hacked his Twitter account. This spotlight grew larger than necessary because he did not honor a public relations biblical rule: Tell the truth.

As public relations professionals, we know the dangers of letting someone else control our story. Best practices in crisis management situations is to: 1) Get out in front of your story as quickly and as honestly as possible. 2) Full disclosure. The quicker you put suspicions to rest, the more likely you can move on and the media will look for someone else to grill—not you. Even as children, our parents and teachers encourage us to tell the truth, no matter how ugly. One or two times of going against their advice, we soon realize how a story snowballs out of control, becoming worse than the actual truth. Most people are more forgiving if honesty and sincere remorse are shown first rather than an arrogant attempt to sell us a story you think we’re foolish enough to buy.

Rep. Weiner has now negatively impacted his marriage and political career. Members of Congress are seeking his resignation. His situation is no different than previous public figures who thought they could overcome the truth with a lie. From former President Bill Clinton, to former New York Attorney General Elliot Spitzer, Tiger Woods, John Edwards and others and more to come, one’s intelligence and perceived ability to outwit the public is not the answer. Owning your faults and displaying sincere regret will give you peace of mind and the media less to talk about.