Monday Morning Media Minute

Some stories just keep on giving if you’re a reporter.  And it’s usually a crisis — a situation where the participants would like to shut down news coverage — that produces the best fodder for ongoing coverage.

The Blagojevich political train wreck is a great example.  In this case there are at least four common mistakes being made by four different participants in this saga.  They are:

• Build a fortress.  Gov. Blagojevich has adopted this strategy.  He’s basically gone into hiding since his arrest and release on bail.  Of all the participants, he’s the one with the biggest problem.  He may also be the only one who’s adopted the right strategy for dealing with the media.  If Blagojevich has any hope of salvaging his political career, the fortress strategy is a disaster.  But if all he’s trying to do is protect his legal position, it’s the only option open to him.  The fortress strategy is often adopted by people/companies who are guilty of major wrongdoing.  It’s also used by people/companies who simply don’t walk to talk about difficult or embarrassing situations.  If you build a fortress, know why you’re doing it.  And understand it comes at a high price to your credibility – regardless of why you’re doing it.

• Overselling your innocence.  Some people/companies have a really hard time admitting mistakes — even when they’ve messed up big time.  Jesse Jackson Jr. appears to be one of those people.  Instead of simply explaining what happened (or didn’t happen) in his role as Candidate Number 5, Jackson’s pressing way too hard to campaign for a job he almost certainly won’t get — and damaging his reputation in the process.  A rule that’s almost always true during a crisis:  Skip the sales pitch.  Just state the truth as clearly as you know how and leave the value judgments to the rest of us.

• Hide ‘n Hope.  Barack Obama has fallen into this trap, at least for now.  By failing to explain quickly and fully just who from his staff talked to Blagojevich and what was said Obama’s kept speculation about potential problems alive in the media.  He’s promising to lay it all out this week.  But, if there’s anything in what he has to say that’s problematic, then taking as long as he has to say it will make it look like he was trying to cover it up.  This is one of the most common mistakes people make when it comes to dealing with a crisis that’s being covered by the media.  Get all the facts out as fast as you can — especially the facts you don’t want to talk about.  Delaying bad news just keeps the story alive and makes the bad news even worse once it comes out.

• Caught with your message down.  Like his boss, Rahm Emanuel has kept quiet on the Blagojevich mess.  No surprise there.  He’s not going to get out ahead of his boss on an issue like this one.  But he seemed genuinely unprepared for a reporter who pressed for a comment at an event at his kids’ school:  “I’m not going to say a word to you.  I’m going to do this with my children.  Don’t do that.  I’m a father.  I have two kids.  I’m not going to do it.”  Given the stance of the Obama camp, Emanuel had no real choice about refusing to answer this reporter’s questions.  But he needed to be prepared and offer his no comment more elegantly than he did.  If you’re not going to answer reporters’ questions, say so.  Give a reason if you can.  But don’t be defensive.  And don’t make excuses.

That’s my two cents’ worth.  What’s yours?

This is the final Monday Morning Media Minute of 2008.  As is my custom, there won’t be an MMMM for the last two weeks of the year.  Merry Christmas (or whatever you celebrate) and Happy New Year.  I’ll check in with you in January.

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The Monday Morning Media Minute is now available as an eBook.  My new eStore features five eBooks based on the Media Minute.  To check them out, visit my eStore and buy early and often.  The eBooks come as PDF files.  You don’t need special eBook software to read them.

President-elect Obama is playing to the middle so far.  And it’s a good lesson for the rest of us.

In almost any situation calling for you to communicate with the public, a certain number of people will support you no matter what, a certain number will oppose you no matter what and the vast majority will be somewhere in the middle.

The folks in the middle are the ones you’re trying to reach because they’re the ones you need to convince.  All too often, people waste way too much time trying to convince the inconvincible or preaching to the already converted.

People who will support you no matter what need to hear from you enough to be able to argue your case for you.  So, don’t ignore them.  But don’t make them the focus of your communication efforts — unless you’re counting on them to be major advocates for your cause.  If you’re counting on strong advocacy from them, then step up the attention you pay to them.

Ignore the inconvincible.  They won’t support you.  So, don’t waste your time trying to change their minds.  One important caveat:  Sometimes opponents look like they’re inconvincible when, in fact, they can be persuaded to move to your side.  How can you tell?  Listen to your opponents.  If they’re asking for something you can agree to, then it’s worth exploring whether accommodating what they want will bring them over to your side.  The inconvincible will always find a new objection if you answer one of their demands.  If that happens, move on.

That’s my two cents’ worth.  What’s yours?

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The Monday Morning Media Minute is now available as an eBook.  My new eStore features five eBooks based on the Media Minute.  To check them out, visit my eStore and buy early and often.  The eBooks come as PDF files.  You don’t need special eBook software to read them.

John Edwards blew it.  I’m not offering a moral opinion about his affair.  I’ll leave that for others.  But purely as a study in crisis communications, he made some classic mistakes — repeated all too often by people who find themselves in situations they’d rather not own up to.

Mistake 1:  Having the affair. This kind of crisis always begins with someone doing something they shouldn’t have.  Interestingly enough, when things are all said and done, the original mistake often isn’t the thing that does the most long-term damage.  Most of us understand how easy it is to fall short of perfect.  It’s the lies that follow that make it so hard to forgive the original mistake.  Edwards’ unsuccessful attempt to cover up his original mistake has hurt him at least as much as the affair — and the story isn’t over yet.

Mistake 2:  Letting the problem linger. The National Enquirer has been pursuing this story for months and Edwards kept it alive by continually denying the truth of what happened.  To make matters worse, he gave the story new legs when the Enquirer caught him meeting with Reille Hunter a couple weeks ago at a hotel in the middle of the night along with the child the Enquirer claims he fathered.

Edwards finally owned up to the affair on Friday — but only after months of denials and two weeks of silence after being cornered by the Enquirer at the hotel where he met Hunter.  The two weeks of silence in the face of an apparent smoking gun that was well known to the media and others did huge damage to Edwards’ credibility.

Mistake 3:  Leaving loose ends. Edwards took a stab at coming clean on Friday.  But he left at least two big loose ends that promise to keep the story alive awhile longer:

• He offered to take a paternity test to prove Hunter’s child isn’t his, but the test hasn’t taken place and the mother says there won’t be one.  That will keep the story alive awhile longer and, without a paternity test, there will always be lingering doubts.  Out of Edwards’ control?  Perhaps.  But he’s had several months to work on this issue.

• Hunter reportedly has received payments for some period of time, up to $15,000 a month according to one report that claims the payments were hush money to keep her quiet.  Edwards says he didn’t make any payments to Hunter and that any payments that were made were without his knowledge.  If she was paid, who made the payments and why promises to keep the story alive.  If any laws were broken, the story could become decidedly worse.

In summary, Edwards made a classic mistake that made the story more damaging:  He waited too long to own up to the problem.  And he made another classic mistake that could mean there’s more damage to be done:  He left loose ends that will encourage reporters to keep digging.

It’s Crisis Communications 101 — Come clean as quickly as you can and get all bad news out at once; don’t leave anything untold that will keep the story alive for another round of new revelations.

Is there more to be revealed?  Only time will tell.  But Edwards has increased the damage to his career and reputation by flunking Crisis Communications 101.

That’s my two cents’ worth.  What’s yours?

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The Monday Morning Media Minute is now available as an eBook.  My eStore features five eBooks based on the Media Minute.  To check them out, visit my eStore and buy early and often.  The eBooks come as PDF files.  You don’t need special eBook software to read them.

Sometimes the best spin is no spin.

Last week, a judge dismissed criminal charges against a Denver middle school principal accused of failing to report allegations of child abuse quickly enough to police.

The case represents a difference of opinion between Denver Public Schools and Denver police over when school officials should report potential child abuse or neglect.

It started with an allegation two seventh-grade boys at Skinner Middle School touched a girl in class. Principal Nicole Veltze suspended the boys and called their parents, but didn’t notify police. The next day police called Veltze and, ultimately, she was charged with a misdemeanor count of failure to report an allegation of child abuse or neglect at her school.

Denver Public Schools believe Veltze acted properly. Police disagree.

This is no small matter. The agencies involved see their disagreement as important enough for School Superintendent Michael Bennet and Police Chief Gerry Whitman to meet with Denver social services representatives to try to resolve the issue. The charges filed against Veltze gave the courts an opportunity to rule on which agency is right. And the disagreement between the two agencies has gotten a fair amount of media coverage.

In short, both sides have stood up for what they believe is right. What they haven’t done is wage an all-out public relations war against one another. They’re not trying to “spin” the story for the media. And that has served both agencies well.

The two agencies have an honest disagreement. Different people will see the issue differently – some siding with the schools and some siding with the police.

But, by avoiding a public shouting match, the agencies have given themselves room to negotiate. As a result, they’ll almost certainly be able to negotiate a solution that won’t damage the reputation of either agency – even though they’re involved in a very public controversy over a highly emotional issue

It’s a good example to follow if you find yourself or one of your clients in the middle of a public controversy.

That’s my two cents’ worth. What’s yours?

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The Monday Morning Media Minute is now available as an eBook. My new eStore features five eBooks based on the Media Minute. To check them out, visit my eStore and buy early and often. The eBooks come as PDF files. You don’t need special eBook software to read them. Want to read and comment on back issues of MMMM? Check out the MMMM blog.

Sometimes it’s a good idea to own up to a really bad mistake before your critics can point it out for you.

Like Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony’s assessment of his team’s embarrassing 102-84 loss Saturday to go 0-3 in their NBA playoff series with the Los Angeles Lakers: “We quit. Everybody. From the coaches to the players, we quit. And I said it.”

Anthony’s criticism of his team worked because it was undeniable and because he included himself: “I’m not blaming anyone. I’m not pointing the fingers at nobody. I didn’t play worth a damn . . . and I can accept that. But as a competitor, there’s no way that I should lay down and quit and lay down on my team like we did tonight . . . We all just gave up.’’

Contrast that with teammate Allen Iverson’s complaint about being pulled from the game early: “To not go back in, I don’t understand that. And (Coach George Karl) didn’t even say nothing to me even afterward . . . I played every game with a broken finger and all. I always came to play, every game we had. So why not tell me nothing?’’

Unlike Anthony, Iverson pointed the public finger of blame at his coach while ignoring his own lousy performance during the game. Iverson’s lucky that Anthony’s quotes got top billing in the media. His comment was divisive and made him look like a whiner. It would not have played well as the lead of the stories about the Nuggets loss.

Here’s the lesson for the rest of us. If you screw up in a way you know will be noticed (and sometimes when it wouldn’t be noticed), your best PR strategy may be to own up to it yourself before you critics do it for you. And almost always, pointing the finger of blame at yourself when it’s deserved will serve you better than trying to find someone else to pin the blame on.

That’s my two cents’ worth. What’s yours?

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The Monday Morning Media Minute is now available as an eBook. My new eStore features five eBooks based on the Media Minute. To check them out, visit my eStore and buy early and often. The eBooks come as PDF files. You don’t need special eBook software to read them. Want to read and comment on back issues of MMMM? Check out the MMMM blog.

I have a question for the people who planned the Olympic-torch run in San Francisco:  What happened to Plan B?

There’s nothing more embarrassing for a public relations professional than staging a press conference that no one attends or a media event that backfires.  The torch run in San Francisco was a media event that backfired big time.

After the Tibet-inspired demonstrations in London and Paris where protesters tried to physically extinguish the ceremonial torch as runners carried it through those cities, organizers of the San Francisco event had to know before the torch reached their city that they faced a similar threat.

Nevertheless, they proceeded with the San Francisco run as planned.  Then they took the torch into hiding after the run began to avoid protesters – and others who lined the route just to see the torch.  The publicity event turned into a disaster for the people who organized it.

You could argue, of course, that there was a simple answer:  The Chinese government could simply agree to stop its crackdown in Tibet.  But that’s a decision beyond the reach of the people responsible for planning the torch run. 

People planning media events usually don’t control the policies of their clients.  Their job is to work within the boundaries of the political environment in which the event will happen – or not happen if it has the potential to backfire.

Part of your job if you’re planning a media event is to figure out if you need a Plan B – and how and when to execute it.

If you stage a news conference for the first scientist who finds conclusive proof of life on another planet, you won’t have to worry about reporters showing up.  But they may ignore a news conference to announce your client’s latest widget or even their new charity drive.

That’s why I prefer to stage events that can be “successful” whether reporters show up or not if there’s any question about whether they’ll be interested in the story.

Do you have a media event coming up?  Do you have a Plan B.?  Are you prepared to shift to Plan B, if necessary, in time to avoid a public relations disaster?

That’s my two cents’ worth.  What’s yours?

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The Monday Morning Media Minute is now available as an eBook.  My new eStore features five eBooks based on the Media Minute.  To check them out, visit my eStore and buy early and often.  The eBooks come as PDF files.  You don’t need special eBook software to read them.

Having the law on your side isn’t always enough.

Wal-Mart learned that lesson when it lost a very visible David v. Goliath fight involving an employee who suffered severe brain damage in a car wreck.

You probably saw the story: Wal-Mart’s health-insurance plan paid $470,000 for the medical expenses of Debbie Shank, whose car was broadsided by a truck. Her family sued the trucking company and won a judgment that netted $417,000 for a trust fund to pay for her long-term care.

But the judgment meant Wal-Mart was legally entitled to get its money back under the terms of its health-insurance plan. So, Wal-Mart sued – and won. And that meant Wal-Mart was legally entitled to recover its money, which would have taken away all the money in the trust fund paying for Debbie’s care, plus some.

Freely acknowledging Wal-Mart was legally entitled to reimbursement, Jim Shank (Debbie’s husband) took his story to the news media. And the media quickly painted Wal-Mart as heartless for trying to take the money needed to pay for Debbie’s care.

Clearly losing what quickly became a highly visible public relations battle, Wal-Mart’s first line of defense was to point out – correctly – that other companies also have clauses in their employee health-insurance plans allowing them to recoup medical expenses paid on behalf of employees who win financial compensation for their injuries.

Predictably, that defense didn’t work. Saying other companies are doing the same thing just makes matters worse. It raises the odds I’ll be the victim next time.

Another common line of defense, often used by companies subject to government regulation, that doesn’t work: We complied with whatever rules or regulations were in place. The public doesn’t care if you played by the rules if the rules won’t protect them against injury.

After several days of highly visible negative coverage, Wal-Mart surrendered and said wouldn’t collect the money after all. Wal-Mart also had the good sense to announce it’ll change its health insurance plan keep its hands off legal judgments paid to other employees who find themselves in similar circumstances.

That’s Crisis Communication 101: Fix the problem (let the family keep the money) and tell the rest of us what you’re doing to make sure it won’t happen again (change the insurance plan).

If you’re the “Goliath” of the story, it’s hard to win a public relations battle with a “David” who’s been badly injured through no fault of their own if you’re seen as having caused the injury or as doing something that will make the injury worse.

Surrendering before the story turns negative often is your best strategy.

That’s my two cents’ worth. What’s yours?

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The Monday Morning Media Minute is now available as an eBook. My new eStore features five eBooks based on the Media Minute. To check them out, visit my eStore and buy early and often. The eBooks come as PDF files. You don’t need special eBook software to read them.

© 2008 Jerry Brown

Is Roger Clemens turning himself into another Pete Rose – a star athlete destroying his own reputation by breaking the rules and then denying the undeniable?

Or is he the victim of a no-win media mugging where he’s “guilty” no matter what he says or does and with no way to get his reputation back?

I have my answers to those questions. If you care about the Clemens saga, you probably have yours.

If Clemens is guilty of illegally using drugs to help his baseball career, then his strong denials are the worst possible strategy. The louder and longer he protests, the higher the cost and the bigger the loss of credibility if and when he’s proven guilty. In Clemens’ case, definitive proof of guilt could put him in prison because it would also be proof of perjury.

It’s easy to see why star athletes like Rose or Clemens (if guilty) get themselves into the position of defending the indefensible.

Their whole careers are based on being best. The financial and ego rewards that go with being the best are a big part of who they are. The stakes are extremely high for them.

But they’re not the only ones who wait too long to admit mistakes and do what they can to fix them.

Anyone familiar with Crisis Communication 101 knows better than to keep denying the undeniable. The trick is to step up to the challenge of doing the right thing – or getting your clients to step up to doing the right thing.

One more point. From where I sit, all the participants in last week’s congressional hearing on the Clemens saga come out of the hearing as losers.

Fairly or not, Clemens looked guilty. Trainer Brian McNamee may have hurt Clemens. But he certainly didn’t come across as a Boy Scout trying to do the right thing. He looks like someone trying to cash in on his notoriety.

And members of House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform who held the hearing? How did they manage to turn this hearing into a partisan fight? Did anyone who watched the hearing believe committee members had any legislative purpose for the hearing? Their agenda seemed pretty straightforward – election-year politics.

The moral of this part of the story for the rest of us?

Like it or not, what you say is only part of your message. The context in which you say it will be part of your message when you deliver it. So, crafting the right words is only part of your challenge. The right words won’t do you any good if the context in which you deliver them means they won’t be believed.

That’s my two cents’ worth. What’s yours?

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The Monday Morning Media Minute is now available as an eBook. My eStore features five eBooks based on the Media Minute. To check them out, visit my eStore and buy early and often. The eBooks come as PDF files. You don’t need special eBook software to read them.