Manage your Message Media Training

Rob Ford: Media relations bully and soon-to-be one-term mayor

Rob Ford is on his way to becoming a one-term mayor. And one of the biggest reasons he'll lose any future election bid is his staggeringly awful handing of the media.

Mayor Ford has shown on numerous occasions that he has little time or respect for the media (outside of a few boosterish, right-wing outlets that treat him with kid gloves). His infamous radio interview with CBC the morning after his election win (yelling to his football players and cutting the interview short) was just one example of his rough media relations skills.

But this latest CBC 911 call debacle brings his media relations ineptitude to a whole new level. Mary Walsh's 'Marg Delahunty' character has long been a Canadian comedy institution, buttonholing Canadian politicians and submitting them to satirical interviews. Even robotic Prime Minister Stephen Harper made time to be interviewed by Marg. But rather than go with the flow and poke a bit of fun at himself, Ford called 911 on Marg and her CBC crew - not once, but twice. And media reports today portray his second call as being profanity-laden, with Ford calling the 911 dispatchers 'bitches' and saying, "Don't you f--ing know? I'm Rob f--ing Ford, the mayor of this city!"

If Rob Ford thought he could avoid any media scrutiny by calling 911, he was obviously mistaken. The mainstream media is having a field-day with this story. At the time I'm writing this, there are hundreds of stories listed on Google News in print, radio and TV and all across the country. Most recently, the mayor and his brother Doug have tried to do damage control by telling the media that the 911 call wasn't really as bad as the CBC is making it sound. The result? More controversy and more negative media coverage.

If he had simply gone along with the gag, shown a bit of humour and let Marg ask her questions, it would have been a (mildly) funny bit that a small percentage of Canadians would have seen. But thanks to his ignorance (or indifference) of how the media works, today Rob Ford looks like an arrogant, crude and disrespectful bully.

Christine O'Donnell breaks 3 media relations rules in 60 seconds

Last November, Christine O'Donnell gave late-night talk show hosts a gift in her 'response to accusations of witchcraft' TV spot (which I addressed in this blog post). Yesterday, she reinforced her inability to handle the media by walking out of an on-camera interview with CNN's Piers Morgan.

O'Donnell was on the show to promote her new book, Troublemaker. But while she was happy to receive the free publicity, she clearly wasn't interested in answering any of Morgan's questions. The host quizzed her on a number of topics, including last year's 'witchcraft' flap. The question that made O'Donnell snap, however, was about her stance on gay marriage. By that point, she was becoming visibly frustrated and had accused Morgan of being "a little bit rude". She then looked to her PR handlers and bailed out of the interview, saying "I'm being pulled away...we turned down another interview for this." One of her people then stands in front of the camera to obstruct the view. Then, O'Donnell takes off her microphone and leaves.

The most revealing part of the interview occured just before O'Donnell pulled the plug, when she said to Morgan, "Don't you think as a host if I say 'This is what I want to talk about', that's what we should address?"

So...in less than 60 seconds, O'Donnell managed to break three important media relations rules:

1. She told the reporter how to do his job ("This is what I want to talk about"),

2. She attacked the reporter ("You're being a little bit rude"), and

3. She walked out of an on-camera interview.

If you haven't seen it yet, you can view the clip of her walk-off here.

 

Orillia mayor tries to put the local media in his inbox

It seems the Mayor of Orillia, a city here in Ontario, has had enough of those bothersome phone calls from the media.

Mayor Angelo Orsi announced yesterday that he is no longer accepting phone calls from the media. A memo from the mayor's office to the media stated that "all media questions are required to be in writing and e-mailed to Orsi". His rationale for the move? "This approach helps me keep track of what I am asked, what I did state, and see what gets printed. It helps keep my side of the story in check with what is used in relation to the context of the story."

If only it were that simple.

The media exists to serve as the eyes and ears for the working public, to question our leaders, keep them honest and report on the goings-on in our communities and governments at all levels. This move by the mayor of Orillia to put the local media in his inbox is a shortsighted tactic that I suspect is destined to backfire.

Of the hundreds of media training sessions I've facilitated over the past 17 years, some of the most challenging were with municipal mayors and councillors. They've always mostly been pleasant, well-meaning people, but local politicians play by a different set of rules. I've had councillors say they simply don't answer calls from the media and that they never will. Many of these politicians say they're suspicious of the motives of reporters and in speaking with these individuals, I can see that many of them have a palpable fear of dealing with the media.

On more than one occasion, I've had municipal politicians ask me whether it was acceptable to simply ask reporters to conduct interviews by email. My answer has always been the same. "No." That isn't to say email doesn't have a role to play. There will be times when email is the quickest way to get back to a reporter with a short response or to clarify an answer. But trying to limit all local media relations to email won't work over the long-term.

The mayor's announcement implies he's running the show when it comes to the local media. As he may find out over the next few months, that's not the case. Ultimately, it's the reporters who are in control. Here are a few predictions about what's (hopefully) going to happen in Orillia over the next few months:

- First, reporters will start going to other spokespeople for quotes on their stories. Other councillors, committee members, heads of local citizens' groups, etc. There will also be an increase in the number of 'anonymous sources' being quoted in the local media. Reporters are like water. They will find the path of least resistance. If the mayor's office is too slow to respond, or appears to be responding with outright 'spin', they will go to other sources. And that's a lost opportunity for the mayor, who may find himself on the sidelines when it comes to telling his story.

- If there is a contentious issue in the community, the mayor may find himself being ambushed by reporters desperate for information. At the grocery store. At the airport. At a hockey game. At his home. Imagine a food or water contamination situation where the mayor will only conduct interviews by email.

People who run for public office have an obligation to speak with the media. That includes phone calls and face to face interviews. Time will tell if this 'email only' approach will work in Orillia. If I were a local reporter in Orillia, I can tell you I wouldn't be too thrilled with it. And I hope the local media takes him to task for the decision, before other politicians try to follow suit. Even as someone who coaches spokespeople on how to conduct better interviews, I disagree with the approach. What's next? "I'll only conduct interviews by text message?"

No matter how well-meaning the intentions might be, I suspect this move by the mayor of Orillia to keep the media at arm's length won't sit well with reporters or the public. Even if it's not the case, it smells vaguely of fear and mistrust. And that's not a solid foundation for successful media relations.

If I were running for mayor of Orillia in the next municipal election, I know what my platform would be: Openness, accountability and a willingness to speak with the media (and, by extension, the public) face to face.

6 ways to improve Sheen's Korner

Anyone who bothered to check out Charlie Sheen's webcast show 'Sheen's Korner' over the past few nights knows it's virtually unwatchable. I checked it out on night #1 and was impressed to see nearly 100,000 viewers logged on before the show had started. But shortly after it began, the numbers started to dwindle. And fast. And with good reason. The content and production quality were pretty lame.

No matter what you think of Charlie Sheen or his antics of late, the guy has a Twitter audience of two million (and growing) and the attention of the TMZ-loving public. And not that he's in the mood for advice, but here are some quick ways for him to elevate the quality of his online show - and these would apply to any company or individual trying to create and retain an online audience:

1) The first recommendation would be to cancel it altogether. Unless you have something of substance to say, maybe a show isn't for you. Sheen has proven that he can read someone else's scripts. But when it comes to writing his own stuff, the results were less than impressive.

2) Lose the Howard Stern format. After seeing his lively, manic interview on 20/20, I was surprised to see Sheen sitting at a desk with a crew of hangers-on chiming in with updates, sound effects, etc. like the Howard Stern show. In addition to being a blatant rip-off, the format didn't allow him to connect with his audience at all. It quickly became an impediment. He would have been better served to simply talk into the camera, give a tour of his house, etc.

3) Invest in decent sound/lighting. For a guy who makes $2 million per episode (well, until recently), the production quality was pretty shabby. Hell, the 10-year-old Lady Gaga fan had better production quality in her house in Winnipeg. For an online show to succeed, people need to be able to see and hear you. The lighting and sound were awful and could be fixed with a little forethought and a very small investment at Best Buy.

4) Rehearse. When the first episode of Sheen's Korner took to the air, it was clear that he was just winging it. Practice improves performance.

5) Look at the camera. If you're speaking to your online audience, we find it very disconcerting when you're looking off-screen while talking. Connection with viewers broken.

6) Less is more. At one point in the first broadcast, Sheen talked about making the show a nightly broadcast. Bad idea. When you have a bad show, people don't want more of it. The frequency should reflect the amount of quality content. And as we've seen, there hasn't been any yet.

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AHS CEO loses his high-paying job because of a cookie

That was one expensive cookie...

In November, Alberta Health Services President and CEO Stephen Duckett was leaving an urgent meeting about a crisis in provincial emergency room care when he was approached by a reporter from CTV. While the camera was rolling, the reporter walked alongside Duckett and asked him to respond to criticism from a government health official.

 

Clearly not wanting to be interviewed, the aptly-named Duckett just kept walking...down a flight of stairs, along a sidewalk and across the street. The persistent reporter and camera operator kept pace with Duckett, continuing to ask him to comment. Instead of responding, however, he repeatedly blew them off by saying he was 'interested in eating my cookie'. At one point, he actually waved his cookie (oatmeal-and-raisin in case you were interested) in the reporter's face. By the way, the video has been viewed 300,000 times and counting in the past month.

 

 

To have Alberta's health chief declining a media interview on a hot button topic because he was eating a cookie didn't go over well with the media, the public, or the Alberta Health Services Board. Five days after the incident, Duckett was canned from his position. Board chairman Ken Hughes acknowledged that the cookie incident played a role in the decision to terminate Duckett. "His ability to carry on and conduct his role as chief executive officer was compromised by his current circumstances - one element of which was that incident," said Mr. Hughes. "The board had clear confidence in him up until that point. But the dynamic changed. The atmosphere changed."

 

To make matters worse, Duckett's 'Cookie Incident' generated hundreds of embarrassing headlines across Canada and the U.S., harming his reputation and that of his employer. The incident was even mocked online in videos like this hilarious mash-up of Duckett and the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street. 

 

 

The Lesson: While it's an extreme example, the 'Cookie Incident' highlights what we tell people in our media training sessions -- that poor media relations skills can cut careers short. Being ambushed by a confrontational reporter isn't fun. But handled properly, you can emerge with your job, reputation and your organization's messages intact. Duckett would have been better served to address the reporters with a brief statement such as:

 

"This is an important issue. And I can assure you it's one that Alberta Health Services takes very seriously. And while I regret that I'm not in a position to provide you with an official comment on such short notice (I'm actually late getting to another meeting), I'd be happy to speak with you afterward. Here's my card...please call my assistant/communications director and we can schedule an interview for later today. Thank you so much for your understanding."

 

A response like this would have bought Duckett enough time to prepare for the interview, polish his key messages and finish eating his cookie in peace. And even if CTV had aired the footage of him giving this response, he'd still have a job today. Instead, he was became flustered and was ultimately undone by the only prop at his disposal - a cookie. 

 

But don't cry for Stephen Duckett. As part of his termination settlement, he's entitled to about $680,000 in severance pay, courtesy of the taxpayer. 

 

Any way you cut it, that's a lot of dough.

 

How not to respond to accusations of witchcraft

One of the more popular stories from our newsletter this month is about Christine O'Donnell, the Republican candidate in Delaware's general election Senate race. Leading up to the election, O'Donnell's campaign was dogged by speculation about her involvement in witchcraft (speculation fueled by comments O'Donnell herself made during a 1999 TV interview). In an attempt at damage control, O'Donnell issued a 30-second TV spot aimed at convincing the public she's an ordinary person, "just like you". In a shockingly poor attempt at addressing the issue head-on, however, a smiling O'Donnell begins her ad with the following four words: "I'm not a witch." You can view the ad here.

 

The public reaction to the ad wasn't quite what O'Donnell and her organizers were hoping for. Opponents and the media had a field day. The 30-second spot was even parodied on Saturday Night Live. In her attempt to change the conversation, O'Donnell actually made the situation worse.

 

The Lesson: There are two lessons here. The first one relates to the 1999 interview in which she referred to "dabbling into witchcraft". Even if you don't aspire to hold public office one day, this probably isn't the kind of life experience to bring up in a network TV interview. The other lesson is about not repeating negative language. The TV ad would have been more effective (or at least less damaging) without the phrase "I'm not a witch." Even though she's refuting the claim, her statement has the opposite effect, serving as fodder for her opponents, critics and the media. In the end, O'Donnell lost her election bid.

Note: This story is taken from our 'Manage your Message' e-newsletter. To get your own copy sent to your inbox each month, sign up here.

Spokespeople need to be ready for the media's tough questions

In our media training sessions, we tell participants that 90% of the success of a media interview is determined before the reporter asks their first question. It's in the homework you do to prepare for the interview. It's finding out the focus of the interview, researching the reporter's past stories on the topic, developing strong key messages and anticipating the questions you'll be asked (especially the 2-3 nightmare questions you hope you never get asked).

 

Going into a media interview unprepared is risky. Doing it on CNN is downright dangerous. Recently, Texas legislator Rep. Debbie Riddle appeared on CNN's 'Anderson Cooper 360' to talk about 'terror babies' - a supposed threat in which terrorist organizations send pregnant women to the US to have their children who would be US citizens, but who would be trained abroad to be terrorists and could return to the US without raising suspicion.

 

When Cooper asked for evidence about the controversial claim, Riddle alluded to conversations with 'former FBI officials'. Unsatisfied with her response, Cooper asked her several more times for evidence of these plots, saying that claims of this magnitude warranted proof. As the reporter continued to press, Riddle became visibly uncomfortable and finally said, "When your folks called me in the preliminary [interview]...they did not tell me that you were going to grill me for this specific information that I was not ready to give you tonight. They did not tell me that, sir." You can view the interview here.

 

The Lesson: Before your media interview, anticipate questions -- escpecially the bad ones. Take a few moments during your preparation to play the role of the reporter and think of the hardest questions you would ask yourself. Ask trusted colleagues to think of some difficult questions too. Then, figure out how you're going to address those questions if they come up in the interview. In most cases, those questions will never see the light of day. But if they do, at least you'll be prepared.

Note: This story is taken from our 'Manage your Message' e-newsletter. To get your own copy sent to your inbox each month, sign up here.

Rob Ford's CBC Radio gravy train wreck

Rob Ford, the mayor-elect of Toronto, is no stranger to the media. In fact, he's done hundreds of interviews in the past year alone, driving home his message about stopping the 'gravy train' of wasteful spending at City Hall. But none of those interviews was as baffling as the national radio interview he granted to CBC just one day after his resounding victory.

 

If you haven't heard the interview yet, you really need to hear it for yourself. As Carol Off, the co-host of CBC's 'As It Happens' starts asking him questions, Ford ignores her and starts barking at someone on the football field (he's a football coach and conducted the interview during a team practice). He does this several times. You can almost hear the host's irritation level rising as the interview progresses. Ford then gives a few stock quotes about cost-cutting, then says he has to go and abruptly ends the interview.

 

The Lesson: Where to begin? I'm probably going to miss a few, but let's take a crack at it, shall we? First, avoid scheduling a national radio interview for a time when you know you're going to be standing in the middle of a windy field on a cell phone (yes, the interview time had been arranged in advance and agreed to by Ford). Give the interviewer your undivided attention. Avoid yelling at others while conducting a media interview. When you have an opportunity to speak to the entire country, use it to deliver your most important messages to your most important audiences. Thank the people who voted for you. Assure those who didn't vote for you that you'll work to earn their trust. Whether or not his behaviour in the CBC interview was deliberate (Ford reportedly has a dislike for the national broadcaster), it represents a real lost opportunity. 

Note: This story is taken from our 'Manage your Message' e-newsletter. To get your own copy sent to your inbox each month, sign up here.

 

'The Decision': Ratings bonanza, PR disaster

Whether or not you follow basketball, you probably heard about the recent one-hour TV special in which NBA star and free agent LeBron James announced which team he would be moving to.

 

The 60-minute ego-fest, titled, The Decision, was a ratings bonanza with nearly 10 million viewers. But it also served to paint James in a rather negative light. After announcing he would be joining the Miami Heat, the interviewer asked him how he felt about sharing the spotlight with the two other stars on the Miami team. LeBron's response:

 

"For me, it's not about sharing, it's about everybody having their own spotlight and then doing what's best for the team."

 

The first six words tell the whole story.

 

It's hard to imagine those words coming out of the mouths of athletes like Wayne Gretkzy, Michael Jordan or Steve Nash. James has taken a lot of 'heat' for the manner in which he made his announcement, including a public lambasting by the owner of his former team.

 

The Lesson: First, wear a suit. During the special, James looked like he was stopped on his way to a picnic. Second, rent a copy of Bull Durham. In the 1988 movie, Crash Davis (Kevin Costner) teaches Ebby 'Nuke' LaLoosh (Tim Robbins) how to survive sports media interviews by keeping it simple and cranking out  clichés. It's boring, but non-controversial. 

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Note: This story is taken from our 'Manage your Message' e-newsletter. To get your own copy sent to your inbox each month, sign up here.

The Factory of Blood and Sweat

When we teach executives to conduct more effective media interviews, two of the simplest techniques we give them are:

 

a) never repeat a reporter's negative language in your response, and

b) try to frame all your answers using positive language.

 

Sounds simple enough. Yet the news is filled with examples of people who disregard these tips (to the detriment of their employers and/or their careers).

 

Last week, the international media picked up on a spate of employee suicides at a company called Foxconn, Apple's main supplier of iPhones in China. The tragic stories cast a spotlight on the harsher aspects of blue-collar life on the Chinese factory floor, including job-related stress and China's cheap labour manufacturing model.

 

Rather than assuming any responsibility for the alarming rash of employee suicides, however, Foxconn blamed the deaths on the workers' personal problems. And in the most blatant case of using negative language in recent memory, Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou defended the company by saying, "I believe we are definitely not a factory of blood and sweat." 

 

There are probably a few dozen better ways to say that. But I'm not sure there are any that are worse.