PR's Great Reporting Gap

Media: "Don't bring me no stinking nuance...."


It struck me this last week watching the State of the Union address and later the President's give and take at the annual Republican Retreat, the rather enormous gap between reliable reporting and the communications of the complex issues being reported. We live in a world of nuance, both singularly and plural, but the media does not...particularly the broadcast media. Subtleties, complexities, enigmas...? Media's got no time for them and no budget to cover them...just bring them straight facts based on some kind of convenient authoritative source in the form of a talking head, or short of that they'll settle for a good repeatable short sound bite.


And, it's not always based on which side of the political spectrum the media is suspected to lie. The truth be told, except where openly stated, the largest percentage of the media likes to believe they are "independently centered" because they believe that is not only being "unbiased" but also where the largest audience and therefore the most advertising dollars linger.


This President, not as unlike his predecessors as we'd like to believe, is extremely difficult to define through simple labels like left, right, liberal, conservative, etc. This lack of a simple definition certainly adds to the difficulty of the media reporting on his presidency and his own inability to simplify his narrative to quick sound bites. "Change" and "Yes We Can" were simplistic campaign slogans, not detailed policy statements. Now we're into the real world of governing and legislating where simple is impossible and nuanced compromise reigns...not exactly the forte of the modern media. The instances I cite above are the latest but perhaps clearest examples of why it's still good to hear the long form position from the source, agreeable or not, rather than just its simplified reported interpretation.


We in the PR world unfortunately seldom have the advantage of presenting our clients, unadorned and transparent, direct to their chosen audiences like the President. We must rely on gaining the attention of the media through cleverly worded pitches and releases that pique their interest and turn their budget and time conscious bosses into backers. And remembering that it's the simple, not the complex, the clever sound bite, not the nuanced long form statement, is what is desired and used, we adhere to this formula. The sad, but good thing for us in PR, is that this formula continues to work at least with most modern broadcast outlets where time and cost are at such a premium. The sadder thing is that these same broadcast outlets do so at the behest of their audiences...us.

Five points CEO’s could learn from the new communicator-in-chief

The upcoming presidential inauguration signifies more than just a dramatic change in the politics of the administrations or the direction this country will be turning towards. If the transition period has been any indication, it also signifies an equally significant shift in how communications will be handled moving forward. Nearly thirty years ago, Ronald Reagan was hailed as the great communicator in the manner in which he shaped his words utilizing his training as an actor, but also in the way he was able to relate those words directly to the American public through a medium he was intimately familiar with…television.

On January 20 we are about to greet another ‘great communicator’ that knows not only how to shape his words as an obviously talented orator, but also knows how to use the media to transmit those words for the greatest impact. Only President Obama doesn’t limit himself to television nor try to circumvent any other media in the process. He seems, at least at this very early point in our relationship with him, that he understands the value of consistently good communications and not just the importance of periodic media outreach.

Oh, that all of our CEO clients should understand that axiom…that serving one’s (or company’s) self-interest lies in serving the needs of others…and no, not their shareholders, the media.

With my apologies to the new president and his administration, I’d like to suggest there are five key points of their communications strategy as it appears to relate to the media that the vast majority of CEO’s could benefit to learn and practice.

• Run a tight ship…but an open one. Make sure you’ve done your homework and have your facts straight and a firm communications strategy in place…then encourage open communications to the media.
• Be straightforward in your dealings with the media. Don’t try to outsmart or be in any way disingenuous, i.e., don’t be sneaky, unavailable or lie.
• Don’t be afraid of your competition. The media looks most favorable on those that are willing to mention or show respect to their competitors when necessary.
• Respect the media’s needs, deadlines…and even shortcomings. CEO’s that demonstrate an understanding and respect for the job the media is charged with completing will most often gain a mutual respect in return…even when both sides may not always deserve it.
• If mistakes are made (and they will be) go back to point one…be open about it. Admit the mistake and provide the correction and explanation…and move on. If the other four points have been consistently adhered to, the media will as well.