by Steve Adubato, PhD
Sometimes, when professionals are under heavy pressure because of a mistake they’ve made, they can say all the right things, be effectively coached to communicate in public, and still get a very mixed reaction.
Consider the case with Michael Vick, who was embarrassed big-time when it was found out that he was running a dog fighting ring, in which horrific things were being done to the “competing” dogs, whether they won or not. Vick was charged, convicted and did some pretty hard time in jail.
by Steve Adubato, PhD
Don Imus is supposed to be a first-rate communicator with a 35-year broadcasting career that has made him millions of dollars. He is the original “shock jock” who uses a provocative communication style to get reaction and ratings. He has also made millions of dollars for his employers at CBS and WFAN on his daily radio program, which until this past Thursday had been simulcast on MSNBC (full disclosure; I am a media analyst for MSNBC).
On Wednesday, April 4, Don Imus made one of the most insensitive, outrageous and despicable comments regarding the Rutgers University women’s basketball team. The fact that he called them “nappy-headed hos” is only a small piece of his degrading and dumb effort at trying to be funny. The response to Imus’ racist comments was swift. There were calls for his resignation and firing and MSNBC responded by taking him off of their airways and his radio career is hanging on by a thread at CBC.
by Steve Adubato, PhD
Some organizations still think the best communication and PR strategy when challenged by the media is to stonewall, cover-up and try to deny access. Consider the case of Walter Reed Army Medical Center. After a series of scathing reports in the Washington Post and subsequent exposes by other media organizations regarding deplorable conditions facing wounded American soldiers, the Pentagon has engaged in one of the worst communication efforts in recent times.
by Steve Adubato, PhD
We’ve had a week or so to look back and get some perspective on one of the biggest media / crisis communication television events in recent years. That’s right, the Oprah / James Frey confrontation over the author’s lies and half-truths in his best-selling book, “A Million Little Pieces.”
To date, much of the analysis has been about Oprah, her performance and her motives. Yet, there are many communication lessons the rest of us (who may face tough questioning in work-related situations) can learn from James Frey’s performance.
by Steve Adubato, PhD
Great teams require a lot of things to go right in order to succeed, yet many are beyond our control. Intangibles include weather, illness and technical snafus. But one of the most important elements of a team’s success is chemistry. This requires every team member to take responsibility for what they say and how they say it. It requires people to think about the impact of their communication on others.
Consider the case of New York Yankee Gary Sheffield, who was recently quoted in NY Magazine saying, “I know who the leader is on the team…I know who the team feeds off. I know who the opposing team comes in knowing they have to defend to stop the Yankees. The people don’t know. Why? The media don’t want them to know. They want to promote two players in a positive light, and everyone else is garbage.” Clearly the two players Sheffield referred to were Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.
by Steve Adubato, PhD
People say a picture can be worth a thousand words. Sometimes a symbol can communicate more than that. Consider Prince Harry’s recent public relations faux pas in which he wore a Nazi uniform to a costume party. Sure he is only 20 years old, but he has been in the public eye since he was born. There are few images or symbols that are universally taboo, but the Nazi swastika is one of them. It communicates a picture of millions of innocent Jewish people killed in the Holocaust.
Harry was immediately criticized and the PR folks around him decided that it was best to put out a written apology saying that he was sorry “if he had offended anyone.” For many, that didn’t cut it and Harry was pressured to apologize in public. The media advisors at Buckingham Palace rejected the idea saying that giving into these demands for a televised apology would set an “undesirable precedent.” Actually, it seems like a pretty sound precedent.
by Steve Adubato, PhD
Clearly, Martha Stewart has a big communication problem. Beyond all the legal and potential criminal issues facing the former domestic diva, Stewart has a huge challenge ahead of her in the effort to restore her reputation and gain the public's trust. She has embarked on an aggressive media and communication strategy in which she portrays herself as a victim who has done nothing wrong. Says Stewart, "After more than a year, the government has decided to bring charges against me for matters that are personal and entirely unrelated to the business of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. I want you to know that I am innocent-and that I will fight to clear my name."
I've got to believe this proactive communication strategy has the approval of her lawyers as well as her high-powered public relations experts. Yet, while going on the offensive does make some sense, there are several flaws in this strategy. The biggest problem is that Martha Stewart's message is not especially believable or credible.