How to Spin the News

Always be cognizant of how your response looks to others. Run it by a few tough critics before you send it to the media. The health club statement may have been refined or reworded if the club’s manager ran it by a few men and women. Maybe he did, but the critics’ voices weren’t strong enough. Yet another reason why you must make sure whoever reads your statement is comfortable giving a dissenting opinion.

Let me finish this chapter with a scandalous, titillating story that also provides a moral lesson. In the winter of 2007, a prominent anchor for a Philadelphia news station visited New York City for a weekend with her boyfriend. The anchor is sexy, beautiful, skinny and rich. Her boyfriend is a popular radio personality for a morning program in Philadelphia, and equally attractive.

During their visit, the anchor and her boyfriend got into a traffic dispute with another vehicle. When they stopped at a traffic light, the anchor’s boyfriend got out of the car and approached the other vehicle, allegedly telling the occupants to drive faster. According to police reports, the occupants told the power couple that they were undercover police officers.

That’s when, according to police reports, the anchor went ballistic.

“I don’t give a f--- who you are, I’m a f---ing TV reporter, you f----ing dyke,” the anchor allegedly shouted.

When it was all over, police accused the anchor of slapping an undercover police officer. It’s never a good idea to slap a stranger on the streets, shouting homophobic rants in a primarily gay area. It’s worse when the choice of your target happens to be an undercover police officer. Police quickly arrested the anchor and booked her on felony charges of assaulting a police officer, which could have put her behind bars for years.

By Monday morning, all of the tabloid newspapers were having a field day with the story, giving the anchor’s tirade front-page coverage. The Philadelphia television station was now fielding calls from the media, asking if management was going to fire the beautiful anchor. Making matters worse, the newspapers pointed out the anchor’s twice-divorced history. The media also reported on how she had emailed bikini-clad pictures of herself to a married man in the past. One newspaper was able to uncover how the anchor allegedly made calls to the Governor of Pennsylvania as soon as she got out of jail, adding even more quid pro quo questions to the story. Reporters now wanted to know if the anchor was trying to curry favor with the law by soliciting help from powerful men. For a woman who needs to be loved by viewers, the situation was quickly spiraling into a public relations nightmare for her image.

A lawyer for the anchor quickly sent out a statement, denying the charges. He said, “(She) never hit or ever said any derogatory comments to anyone.”

Her lawyer also described a different situation. He said the anchor was “accosted by several individuals wearing plainclothes. They attempted to grab her camera to prevent her from taking photographs of an altercation they (plainclothes people) were involved in. (The anchor) was shocked to learn after the fact that these individuals were police officers.”

New York City police officers are not always the friendliest group of people at two in the morning, so I could imagine how this event unfolded and quickly escalated into an argument, especially if any alcohol was involved. Regardless, the anchor could have managed this negative press better by speaking publicly with just one news organization. A lawyer sending out a statement gives the impression that this anchor is trying to buy her way out of the problem. Yes, high-powered lawyers can help most people, but this was a battle of public image. By speaking directly to the public, the anchor could have given her side of the story. And by giving one reporter the exclusive, the anchor wouldn’t have faced a pack of hungry journalists.

Less than a month after this story made headlines, the anchor was fired from her job in local television news. The General Manager of the station released a statement, saying he had “concluded it would be impossible for (her) to continue to report the news as she, herself, has become the focus of so many news stories.”

I’m sure the anchor had many friends within local law enforcement who could have spoken on her behalf and boosted her image within the community. The anchor could have encouraged law enforcement officers to call reporters who were covering her story. The police officers could have vouched for the anchor’s character and temperament, telling reporters she was always professional with them and respected the law. They also could have given the appearance that many professionals inside of law enforcement supported her.

Many people in the gay community were also offended by the anchor’s alleged homophobic comments. Again, the anchor should have had several friends from the gay community call those same reporters, saying they’ve never known her to be homophobic or racist against anyone. Perhaps, they could have cited examples in which she supported their organizations. A few credible sources vouching for the anchor’s temperament could have lessoned the tension in these stories.

Finally, the anchor could have enlightened public empathy to the situation by directly describing the situation she saw. She could have said in her own words why she was afraid these men in plain clothes were about to harm her boyfriend, and that’s why she pulled out her camera phone to document the situation for police. If the anchor did say the alleged derogatory remarks, she should have expressed contrition, saying she was scared and wrong to say such a thing in a moment of fear and anger. But, she never should have used this time to accuse the police officers of any misdoings. Instead, the anchor should have focused her response on the positive, saying she respects all police officers because they put their lives at risk everyday. She also could have made light of the situation by saying she should have listened to her grandmother who always said, “No good thing ever happens after 2am.”

For more tips on how to spin the news into your favor, go to www.BeatthePressBook.com