Image is everything. It’s not what you say, but you do that is remembered by others, yet surprisingly few people seem to remember this, especially when they are in the middle of a crisis situation.
Studies by sociologists show body language makes up 55 percent of our communications. Think about it; what you do means more than what you say. Yet despite this fairly obvious conclusion, so many people in the middle of a crisis situation don’t take the time to think of what their actions will say in the public domain.
I couldn’t help but laugh today when I saw the Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, taking a jog through the snow in front of reporters and photographers. Blagojevich is in the middle of a major political scandal. He’s accused of trying to sell Barack Obama’s vacated Senate seat, state lawmakers are trying to impeach him, and the media has been trying to get answers from him. And in the middle of all this, on a very cold and snowy morning, Blagojevich decides to go running in front of the cameras. Doesn’t he understand what this image projects?
Television needs a visual to support the story, otherwise it's just radio. TV reporters also need new video to advance the day’s report. Today, the governor gave them an early Christmas gift with his run through the streets. Reporters got their new visual for the day and they got the video to support it. The new video projects the image of a governor running from reporters and it deflects from the image of him working. The governor should be working in the middle of the day, not exercising. And he certainly shouldn’t be running from reporters, which is exactly what this image projected.
Just in case you didn’t know, you never want to run when a TV reporter or camera crew surprises you with an ambush. Any person running will always look guilty. If you don’t believe me on this, just ask yourself what you thought when you saw OJ Simpson driving his white Ford Bronco, fleeing from police.
Only those who are guilty run. Maybe it’s a cliché, but it certainly became a popular one for a reason.
If you are ever confronted or surprised with an unannounced interview with the media, face the cameras. Don’t run. Running always makes for great television, like it did today with Blagojevich. If you leave work tonight and there is a reporter outside of your business, asking you questions about a customer’s accusations, take a minute to address the reporter. This doesn’t mean you have to answer the reporter’s questions. It means you have to address, make contact with the camera.
In this situation, tell the reporter that you will answer his questions in the proper way. Tell the reporter that this ambush is not responsible journalism and that he should schedule an interview with you, rather than try to catch you by surprise. Tell the reporter that you are on your way to a meeting or family function, but you will answer his questions when he calls you at work.
Of course, any reporter that surprises you with an unannounced interview is most likely pursuing stories for shock value. That means, he will want you to run or push his camera or even put your hand up to block the camera lense. Resist the urge. Remain respectful and stick to your message: You will gain more by projecting the image of dignity, rather than fear.
Even if you don't want to answer the questions, at least the camera will show you answering the questions. And we all know the camera never lies.. yeah, right..
For more insight into how to improve your image with the media go to: www.BeatthePressBook.com
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Saturday, August 9, 2008
John Edwards Gets Caught With his Pants Down
John Edwards just proved why most Americans don’t trust politicians. He got caught with his pants down and he tried to lie about it. For those living in a cave, the former Presidential candidate admitted earlier this week he had an affair while his wife battled cancer. It’s one thing to have an affair, but cheating on your wife while she is battling such a horrible disease is outright selfish. His response made him seem like that much more of an egomaniac.
"In the course of several campaigns, I started to believe that I was special and became increasingly egocentric and narcissistic," Edwards said in a statement.
His television response on ABC's Nightline wasn't much better.
"I went from being a senator, a young senator, to being considered for vice president, running for president, being a vice presidential candidate and becoming a national public figure," Edwards said on national television.
Who coached this guy in crisis management? Of course, no politician should need a lesson in honesty, but Edwards could have improved his crisis situation in several ways. There are many lessons to take away from this, which can be applied to your situation.
Number 1, don't ever try to lie to get out of a crisis situation. You only have one thing in this world and that is your credibility. If you lose that credibility with a reporter, you probably won’t gain it back. Worse, if the lie is relevant to the story, your element of deception will probably be included in the story.
Journalists are schooled in uncovering the truth, and the more experienced the reporter, the greater the odds that your lie will be revealed. Instead of trying to deceive the reporter on the issue, make an effort to resolve it. If you have a manager who took
advantage of a person, hold that manager and yourself accountable by firing or suspending him. Then communicate to the reporter how you held the acting agent accountable.
You might think that you can get away with deception and lying (and maybe you are a great storyteller) but we live in a round world. What goes around comes around, and if you don’t get caught the first time, sooner or later your web of deceit will entangle you.
I don’t want to judge because I am human. But I am also not running for President of the United States on a platform of honesty, integrity and values. I also didn't lambast President Clinton when reporters uncovered Monica Lewinsky's blue, semen-stained dress. Edwards, the opportunist he was, used the scandal to jump on the moral bandwagon, and score political points with the religious conservatives. Today, his words from the past add even more weight in holding him accountable as a politician who promised he would do better.
"I think this President has shown a remarkable disrespect for his office, for the moral dimensions of leadership, for his friends, for his wife, for his precious daughter. It is breathtaking to me the level to which that disrespect has risen," Edwards said back in 1999.
Oh really. It should be known that Edwards cheated on his wife after he sought the highest office in the land. I wonder what Edwards say about himself today.
Edwards encouraged people to believe in him when he ran for President, and most people did. He came in second place in the crucial Iowa primary last January. Not bad for a guy who claimed he was the son of a factory worker. Edwards was a populist, which is why his platform transcended so many generations. He championed the little guy, the manufacturer who lost his job and the teacher who wanted more pay. The little old ladies who worried about their Medicare also felt like they had someone to trust. But then he decided to cheat on his wife. Thank G-d for tabloid journalism reporters. The Enquirer did something few other media outlets had the guts to do. They put a reporter on the sex beat to expose Edwards and the hypocrisy he was living. They exposed a national story with real ramifications.
Morality does matter in politics, especially if you frequently promote it within your platform. If he's willing to deceive his wife, why wouldn't he deceive America? Oh wait, Edwards admitted this week that he tried to do that. When asked why he repeatedly denied the affair, Edwards was honest.
"Because I did not want the public to know what I had done. It's that simple," Edwards said.
It's nice knowing a politician who almost became President is honest enough to say he intentionally wanted to deceive us.
For more on how to handle any crisis communications situation, go to www.BeatthePressBook.com
"In the course of several campaigns, I started to believe that I was special and became increasingly egocentric and narcissistic," Edwards said in a statement.
His television response on ABC's Nightline wasn't much better.
"I went from being a senator, a young senator, to being considered for vice president, running for president, being a vice presidential candidate and becoming a national public figure," Edwards said on national television.
Who coached this guy in crisis management? Of course, no politician should need a lesson in honesty, but Edwards could have improved his crisis situation in several ways. There are many lessons to take away from this, which can be applied to your situation.
Number 1, don't ever try to lie to get out of a crisis situation. You only have one thing in this world and that is your credibility. If you lose that credibility with a reporter, you probably won’t gain it back. Worse, if the lie is relevant to the story, your element of deception will probably be included in the story.
Journalists are schooled in uncovering the truth, and the more experienced the reporter, the greater the odds that your lie will be revealed. Instead of trying to deceive the reporter on the issue, make an effort to resolve it. If you have a manager who took
advantage of a person, hold that manager and yourself accountable by firing or suspending him. Then communicate to the reporter how you held the acting agent accountable.
You might think that you can get away with deception and lying (and maybe you are a great storyteller) but we live in a round world. What goes around comes around, and if you don’t get caught the first time, sooner or later your web of deceit will entangle you.
I don’t want to judge because I am human. But I am also not running for President of the United States on a platform of honesty, integrity and values. I also didn't lambast President Clinton when reporters uncovered Monica Lewinsky's blue, semen-stained dress. Edwards, the opportunist he was, used the scandal to jump on the moral bandwagon, and score political points with the religious conservatives. Today, his words from the past add even more weight in holding him accountable as a politician who promised he would do better.
"I think this President has shown a remarkable disrespect for his office, for the moral dimensions of leadership, for his friends, for his wife, for his precious daughter. It is breathtaking to me the level to which that disrespect has risen," Edwards said back in 1999.
Oh really. It should be known that Edwards cheated on his wife after he sought the highest office in the land. I wonder what Edwards say about himself today.
Edwards encouraged people to believe in him when he ran for President, and most people did. He came in second place in the crucial Iowa primary last January. Not bad for a guy who claimed he was the son of a factory worker. Edwards was a populist, which is why his platform transcended so many generations. He championed the little guy, the manufacturer who lost his job and the teacher who wanted more pay. The little old ladies who worried about their Medicare also felt like they had someone to trust. But then he decided to cheat on his wife. Thank G-d for tabloid journalism reporters. The Enquirer did something few other media outlets had the guts to do. They put a reporter on the sex beat to expose Edwards and the hypocrisy he was living. They exposed a national story with real ramifications.
Morality does matter in politics, especially if you frequently promote it within your platform. If he's willing to deceive his wife, why wouldn't he deceive America? Oh wait, Edwards admitted this week that he tried to do that. When asked why he repeatedly denied the affair, Edwards was honest.
"Because I did not want the public to know what I had done. It's that simple," Edwards said.
It's nice knowing a politician who almost became President is honest enough to say he intentionally wanted to deceive us.
For more on how to handle any crisis communications situation, go to www.BeatthePressBook.com
Thursday, March 20, 2008
TEN DEFENSIVE DECREES
A reporter or producer is constantly measuring the value of a story during his initial phone call to your business. He might have documents to support your malfeasance, and a victim to lend credibility, but until he talks to you over the phone, for all practical purposes, this reporter has nothing more than gossip and gossip isn't worthy of a news story.
This is why you must treat that first encounter like it is a sacred act. Every reporter needs to hear your response to the allegations and depending on what you say over the phone or how you act in person, it will influence whether the story is killed or pursued. You might not immediately get the story killed using these Ten Defensive Decrees, but by violating them, you are almost ensuring the negative story will proceed.
DEFENSIVE DECREE #1 - Do unto others as you want done unto you.
DEFENSIVE DECREE #2 - Do not give the impression of trying to impede a story.
DEFENSIVE DECREE #3 - Steer the reporter to better ground.
DEFENSIVE DECREE #4 - The blasphemous question you may never ask.
DEFENSIVE DECREE #5 - Don't be afraid of not knowing.
DEFENSIVE DECREE #6 - Seek the counsel of wise men.
DEFENSIVE DECREE #7 - Accentuate the positive.
DEFENSIVE DECREE #8 - Make the story sound boring by eliminating conflict.
DEFENSIVE DECREE #9 - Seek repentance from the victim.
DEFENSIVE DECREE #10 - Thou Shall Not Bear False Witness
For more information on how to handle a crisis communications situation, go to www.BeatthePressBook.com
This is why you must treat that first encounter like it is a sacred act. Every reporter needs to hear your response to the allegations and depending on what you say over the phone or how you act in person, it will influence whether the story is killed or pursued. You might not immediately get the story killed using these Ten Defensive Decrees, but by violating them, you are almost ensuring the negative story will proceed.
DEFENSIVE DECREE #1 - Do unto others as you want done unto you.
DEFENSIVE DECREE #2 - Do not give the impression of trying to impede a story.
DEFENSIVE DECREE #3 - Steer the reporter to better ground.
DEFENSIVE DECREE #4 - The blasphemous question you may never ask.
DEFENSIVE DECREE #5 - Don't be afraid of not knowing.
DEFENSIVE DECREE #6 - Seek the counsel of wise men.
DEFENSIVE DECREE #7 - Accentuate the positive.
DEFENSIVE DECREE #8 - Make the story sound boring by eliminating conflict.
DEFENSIVE DECREE #9 - Seek repentance from the victim.
DEFENSIVE DECREE #10 - Thou Shall Not Bear False Witness
For more information on how to handle a crisis communications situation, go to www.BeatthePressBook.com
Crisis Communications
The challenge with any crisis situation involves reaction. Unfortunately, with most crisis situations, you rarely have time to react in an orderly or thoughtful manner. It’s like trying to put out a fire with a garden hose, being surrounded by flames. This is why you must prepare for the worst possible situation before it happens. Your mind needs clarity in these situations, and a player who practices always performs better on game day. The reality is if you respond to the reporter’s questions with precision and respect, you can walk away unscathed. If you take a proactive approach with the media, you can manipulate the message. The challenge lies in the art of execution.
How to Spin Negative News
A reputation takes years to build, but it can be lost overnight. This is why in today’s 24-hour news cycle, it is even more imperative to learn how to effectively manage a message. The media loves stories with conflict and resolution, preferably a David and Goliath tale. But don’t fret if you are an individual, small business owner or middle manager going up against a media giant. It is possible to influence the way your story is told. The challenge lies in learning how to position you, your character and your story before the media has a chance to write it.
For more tips on how to spin the news into your favor, go to www.BeatthePressBook.com
For more tips on how to spin the news into your favor, go to www.BeatthePressBook.com
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