Posts Tagged ‘media’

1. How you respond is a measure of your mettle

   Published on Friday, July 30th, 2010

   He didn’t get it then, and he doesn’t get it now. “Then” was when he fronted up to the affected communities, the media, and politicians over the Gulf oil spill disaster; and “he” is former BP chief Tony Hayward.

   It is almost beyond comprehension that he would say, when exiting the top job, “Life isn’t fair”.

   How could a person with the experience and credentials to lead Britain’s biggest industrial company think such a thing, let alone say it!  It’s apparent he’s been insulated all his life from the world where most of us live…because we all know life’s not always fair. That’s a given; it’s how you respond that is a measure of your mettle. 

   Yes, he did admit making mistakes, and stated that it (managing the disaster) had not been a great PR success (if he was honest he would’ve have admitted it was a disaster).  But patently he learned nothing from the grueling experience of the past 101 days; and he has absolutely no empathy for those who lost their lives on the rig and their grieving families, for people whose lives and dreams have been shattered by the spill, for the havoc wreaked on the environment.

   A primary rule of managing the media is: know what you are going to say. Did he? It’s hard to believe.

   No, life is not fair when a person like Tony Hayward can walk away with a £1 million lump sum, and a pension of £600,000 a year!

   I expect you agree, life’s just not fair.

   

2. Are PR professionals worth the money?

   Published on Thursday, July 8th, 2010

   Naturally as the GM of a major PR consultancy my response is yes. The range of PR services available in New Zealand are as wide and varied as the needs of the individuals and organisations who procure these services. Anyone who spends money on PR rightly expects a meaningful communication outcome. I was therefore intrigued to find out more about a DIY PR programme and service which claimed to be a ‘threat’ to PR.

   Presumably the claim, made in a media statement that PR consultancies are under threat, was designed to get attention, as was the statement suggesting that companies currently pay exorbitant amounts of money to generate publicity.  For what is apparently a much lower fee, organisations can learn how to do it themselves and save money in the process.  ‘All it takes’ is an understanding of the publicity process and you can ‘do your own’ PR.

   An interesting proposition, and let me make it clear,  I am not criticising the premise of people doing their own PR, nor deriding the author of this media statement who might  offer a good service for the right people. 

   There are a good number of people who drive their own publicity and others who, if they had the knowledge and inclination, could also do so. But there are some who should not and plenty more who, while willing and possibly able, will simply never get around to it.  

   The DIY advocate focuses on the common misconception that PR is simply about generating publicity via the media. Today, PR is about building strong relationships with publics; effective, authentic and mutually beneficial relationships. Thus the term: PUBLIC RELATIONS.
    
   One of the key benefits brought to a company by an external agency is the third eye and an independent perspective. We are experts in the PR business while the client is the expert in their business. 

   Sound PR, focused on building relationships, is most certainly worth the investment and will contribute to long-term success. 

   Even positive publicity does not necessarily build great relationships or add value to your business. It can, but simply looking to generate publicity for the sake of column inches is not always good PR.   

   Whether you DIY, or engage experts – internally or externally – at the forefront of your mind should be an understanding of the needs of all target audiences. Great PR people will develop strategies that ensure a company addresses all audiences, and will help develop a programme that is genuinely mutually beneficial to all.

   

3. All Whites get media communications spot on

   Published on Friday, June 25th, 2010

   The All Whites, and football, have won more than the hearts and minds of the public with their greater than expected performances at the World Cup.

   They have also won the admiration of the media for the way players, the coaching staff and top officials have readily made themselves available for interviews – regardless of the difficulties created by the time difference between South Africa and New Zealand.

   In our prime news time of 6am to 8am this morning, some two to four hours after they had failed by the narrowest of margins to ‘achieve the impossible dream’ and when emotional and physical exertion would have been taking its toll on body and mind, they repeatedly fronted, answering the same set of questions with enthusiasm and a fair degree of articulation as every news outlet sort their views.

   It capped an impressive media performance they have maintained throughout the tournament.

   The media loved it, and was not slow to compare the difference between the All Whites and the attitude of the ‘other two’ football codes.

   It is a timely reminder to all sports (and to business) of the importance of the media to them, and the promotional power generated by good media coverage.

   In the space of a few weeks we have learnt, and can recall, the names of the All Whites with the same ease as we can the nation’s top rugby and league players, and the beautiful game has moved from the wings to centre stage.

   If on a regular basis football received the same level of coverage as the other football codes, it’s possible it too might not be as media friendly.

   However, let’s not allow scepticism to tarnish a media performance that ranks alongside their playing performance.

   Well done the All Whites, you got your communications spot on.

   

4. Probing whether the media is observer or creator

   Published on Thursday, June 10th, 2010

   A question those of us involved in communication often debate is whether the media reports news, or creates it. It’s one of those circular discussions, as we all have countless examples we can table that support our point of view.

   I was intrigued therefore when a report from Media Monitors* crossed my desk which sought to answer the question “what role the media played in creating or reinforcing” views around the global financial crisis.

   While the report drew no clear cut conclusion, what it did demonstrate was that media in different countries throughout the Asia/Pacific media put a different emphasis on the crisis during the critical months of April to August 2009.

   For example:

   • In New Zealand, 25% of our coverage focused on ‘excessive greed’ in proportioning blame for the crisis, compared to 5 percent for the Asia/Pacific region.

   • The Region saw the blame lying squarely at the feet of ‘weak regulations’ (close to 30 percent) whereas we rated it in second place, with 18%.

   • When focusing on the main indicator showing that the economic downturn was continuing, our measure was GDP (26%). The Region focused on exports (30%).

   • When looking for signs of recovery, our coverage focused on retail sales (18%), the Region on economic growth (22%).

   • Our media was the only one to that saw rebalancing the global economy as the main future challenge, whereas across the Region the main future challenge was seen as unemployment.

   My conclusion was that the report clearly shows that nationally the media collectively forms a view, and that its coverage then focuses on aspects that it believes are the most relevant.

   It would have been interesting if a parallel piece of research had run at the same time to measure whether the public bought into the media’s views, or held different opinions.

   Armed with that we would have been able to get closer to answering the question as to whether the media reports, or creates news.

   *The Global Financial Crisis Report, Media Monitors, v5, January 2010

   

5. The Oprah Effect – the media princess of our times makes an indelible mark

   Published on Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

   Every so often there comes an individual whose unique impact on our cultural psyche is profound and lasting and Oprah Winfrey is one such person. 

   Her ability to influence the beliefs and behaviours of her followers, usually female, is such they will strongly defend their heroine’s stance on an issue and actively share their new learning with others so they can also reap the benefit or avoid the risks.  In turn these views are shared via other mainstream and social media networks, exponentially spreading the information. 

   For those in the know, the goal of producing a daily s-shaped stool is one such example.  Thanks to Oprah many millions, possibly even billions of people now know that producing an s-shaped stool is an indication of good digestive health.  To be fair it is not her words exactly.  But the power of her seal of approval on the experts on her show or magazine means they may as well be her words.

   The Oprah Effect is a term we ourselves use when beliefs that have been firmly established by popular media sources are contradictory to recognised expert opinion.  Being specialist communicators in the health and nutrition space it is something we experience with increasing frequency.

   More recently another Oprah Effect has been felt, this time by the media themselves.  With the release of a new unauthorised biography (by infamous biographer Kitty Kelley) few, if any, of the mainstream talk shows are said to be willing to interview the author.  As one wag said, “It’s one book guaranteed to not make Oprah’s Book Club.” This Oprah Effect has created a fear amongst media of losing privileged access or experiencing a withdrawal of her (powerful) approval. One Oprah story now is not worth banishment forever.

   Oprah is potentially the most powerful media person of our time.  She’s credited with helping put Obama in the Whitehouse.  I must confess to being in awe of her. I am not necessarily a fan but I am fascinated by her effect.

   Oprah Winfrey is the classic case of the right person at the right time having established her global dominance at a pace similar to the globalisation of media itself. Twenty years earlier and she might have languished in Chicago, which might now be known as the city of super-healthy digestive systems.

   It now remains to be seen how the Oprah Effect will manifest itself in the future.

   

6. What a wonderful bizarre world we live in!

   Published on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

   There are occasions when you can only but shake your head in disbelief at the antics played out in our media.

   Take for example the reaction by the majority of the media to the suggestion by ACT MP David Garrett that there might be some value in considering paying ‘bad parents’ $5000 if they agreed to be sterilised.

   The media went berserk, making it the leading news item of the day. Politicians and every sort of self appointed social or liberal commentator climbed into the debate. Someone even managed to manufacture a link with Hitler.

   You could be forgiven for believing that the suggestion was on the verge of becoming law rather than the musings on a blog by a MP who was unknown to the majority of us.

   The most poignant comment that I saw was that from the Herald’s Fran O’Sullivan, who quietly pointed out that many middle class parents pay for their own sterilisation once they have completed their families.

   Shame on you Fran for effectively killing off the debate when your colleagues were just getting started! And shame on the middle class for following the teachings of Hitler!

   Having recovered our breath we then moved on to the Destiny Church’s ‘cash cult’ expose. Not to worry that we have heard it all before, including stories about the extravagant living style of its leader Bishop Tamaki.

   It all started because part of the Brisbane congregation did what every right minded person would do if they disagreed with the ‘cult’s’ requirements around tithing and gifting – they walked out.

   The only nugget I gathered from the coverage was that TV3’s John Campbell has now adopted the practice of gate crashing other presenter’s interviews (Willie Jackson’s) to get a story if anyone dares to decline his demand that they appear on his show.

   Can we now look forward to the day when Willie gate crashes John’s programme?

   To mimic the words taken to the world by the late Paul Fuemana, ‘how bizarre, how bizarre’.

   

7. Fair Play or Out Of Bounds

   Published on Thursday, January 28th, 2010

   The ability of the media to ‘spark’ a controversy, and that of social media to ‘fuel it’ has rarely been better illustrated than the histrionics raging in Australian over the comments made by the new Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, when asked the question:  what advice would you give your daughters about sex before marriage.

   The question was posed by The Australian Women’s Weekly when doing a personality piece on Abbott. His response [not to give away their virginity lightly] is, I would have thought on face value, acceptable enough fatherly wisdom.

   However, when you are a politician, nothing is taken on face value.

   As would be anticipated, the reaction to his comments has been as diverse as ‘a brilliant answer’ to ‘yet another self-acknowledged one-time drug-taking, Vatican roulette-playing, shagabout, white, middle-aged male telling young women not to do what he did when he was their age’ (an Australian comedian).

   Now Abbott is an experienced politician, and his media minders are hardly likely to be lightweights, so it’s not unreasonable to assume he knew what sort of reaction he was likely to generate. The decision to answer the question the way he did had to be deliberate, and was designed to achieve a specific result.

   Post coverage analysis will tell him whether he obtained what he set out to achieve.

   By and large, New Zealand politicians have steadfastly refused to allow or inject their families into media coverage to raise their profile. In Australia, some at least are obviously not so reticent.

   I think the Kiwi approach is the wiser.

   What is of real interest to those of us who work in the media world is the power social media has to take the initial story, and fragment it into stories about politics, parenting, morality, religion, feminism, manipulation (of the media), hypocrisy and personal choice, to name a few.

   For those who have doubts about the power of social media, have a read.

   One only hopes that the media does not seek to prolong the controversy by asking Mrs Abbott and her three daughters as to their views on Mr Abbott’s musing. Enough is enough!

   

8. The News Truce

   Published on Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

   In Ypres, 1914 a Christmas Eve ceasefire became the stuff of yuletide legend.

   The truce began when German troops decorated their trenches, the soldiers placed candles on trees and sang Christmas carols. Not to be outdone British troops responded singing their own carols back in English. In no time the two sides were shouting greetings to each other, there were calls for visits across No Man’s Land where small gifts were exchanged. Whiskey, jam, cigars and chocolate was shared and the artillery in the region fell silent that night.

   This exceptional outbreak of peace reminds me of the news over the summertime here in New Zealand, it’s as if our world stops speaking for a month. Could this outbreak of ‘nothing happening’ be because all of us in the information exchange business have waved a white flag and sent the news on holiday?

   The news goes soft. Not a peep is heard from the courts or councils, the lobbyist and legislators languish. Business leaders too are mute, our captains of industry have headed off in the caravan and so have the agitators and activists. The Beehive itself is silent. Even the sports reporters have given up the ghost.

   The papers are scrawny and the news bulletins truncated. They will contain stories from the seaside, teens running amok, cute kiddies frolicking, kooky animal stories, a freak storm perhaps, sunscreen warnings, surf beach rescues and the road toll.

   The lifestyle pages will be chocka with recipes for leftovers, anniversaries of other things, musings on the future or the past from famousish New Zealanders and book reviews. The news in other words – will be nice.

   This is not a global news-truce, the Northern hemisphere draws a breath for Christmas but their news-machine barely misses a beat. It is us who have a full hiatus of real news and maybe that’s just the way we like it.

   

9. Pearls before swine

   Published on Thursday, October 8th, 2009

   Ever had a press release sink like a stone? It can be heartbreaking when the intrinsic worth and value of beautifully crafted, timely and interesting key-messages get soundly ignored by the media.

   Well our newest heroine was not prepared to take it anymore. After Anna Wilding’s media release was spurned by the Christchurch Press, she took this rejection to a higher authority. Anna has chutzpah in spades. Take a look at the Press Council’s ruling out yesterday. 

   Case Number: 979 ANNA WILDING AGAINST THE PRESS
   Council Meeting MAY 2004

   Anna Wilding laid a complaint against The Press because the Editor, Paul Thompson, would not interview her or publish her media releases sent to him in February and March this year. The Press Council did not uphold her complaint.

   Anna Wilding had returned to Christchurch from Los Angeles where she is based. She expected The Press to publish her photos and details of her professional career as a local interest story. The Secretary of the Press Council advised Ms Wilding that the Council had consistently stated that editors were responsible for deciding the content of their publications and that such a complaint was unlikely to succeed. However she wished to pursue her complaint on the basis that other media overseas had published a portion of her press release, proving that it was newsworthy.

   Paul Thompson responded to Anna Wilding’s complaint that, as editor, he had sole discretion on the content of The Press and was not obliged to publish any news releases or interview her.

   The Press Council agreed with Paul Thompson and saw no grounds on which the complaint could be upheld.

   

10. Media serves up hard economic information … but are we interested?

    Published on Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

    The economist Edgar Fielder, who served under Presidents Nixon and Ford, is quoted as saying ‘ask five economists, and you’ll get five different answers – six if one went to Harvard’.

    This self deprecating comment would draw mirth from his peers because they understood the complexities and intricacies of taking historical economic data, and trying to forecast what it means for the future.

    For those of us who are not economists, and who try to make sense out of what will happen on the basis of the media coverage of economists’ comments, the result can be bewildering.

    We are no sooner buoyed by headlines proclaiming New Zealand’s recession is ‘over’ than we are brought down to earth by headlines elsewhere forecasting the economy is going ‘nowhere fast’ over the next 18 months or that unemployment will ‘continue to rise’.

    How can this be? Well, the answer certainly isn’t the economists are playing mind games with us, or the media is misquoting or misunderstanding what the economists are saying.

    In part it is the price we pay for trying to understand an issue as complex as the economy on the basis of sound bytes, or a 250 word précis of a 60 page report.

    It is also a reminder that we should view potted media coverage of most topics as the start point – and that there is far more to the full story than the media will ever give us.

    If we want that full story, then we are required to go out of our way to learn more.

    Which bring us round to the issue of whether it is the media’s role to inform us, or to report what others are saying?

    It can be argued that economics is one area where the print and online media in particular do try to inform and give a balanced view, through comment by in-house and external columnists, and by in-depth coverage of personal finance, business and agricultural items.

    Whether we choose to read the in-depth economic stuff with the same desire for knowledge as when we are looking at the All Blacks’ performance or nutritional and health issues, is another matter.