High-Tech PR Blog >> Beyond the Hype

Journalistic Ethics vs. the Economy

I've been watching with fascination the uproar surrounding Washington Post publisher Katharine Weymouth's attempt to raise money for her struggling newspaper by hosting a salon series at her home that featured the newspaper's journalists - including its host, editor Marcus Brauchli and government officials.  The price of admission for this series was a steep $25,000 per salon or $250,000 for the series and the target audience was lobbyists and corporate executives. 

Most interestingly, the coverage of the mistake by the Post's young publisher has taken on a life of its own.  The actual details of what the salon was intended to do seem to be lost now.  What is causing major umbrage is the implication that the Post reporters were for sale and the rich and privileged were buying their way into coverage or at least influence over key reporters.  I can't tell either the intended size of this well-heeled audience -- that is, whether the salon was a large table gathering or several hundred guests.

As a former journalist and a long-time PR consultant who often has represented the less well-funded competitor in a tough market, I cringe at the suggestion that any journalist or publication is for sale to the highest bidder or largest advertiser.  But as a business person who understands the need to run a profitable business, I understand what Weymouth was trying to accomplish. 

When I was a journalist in the tech market, I often would be introduced to advertisers at luncheons at major conferences.  Many of the publications still do these occasional road shows of editors that involve brief one-on-ones with the advertisers.  I was never expected to write about those advertisers unless they had a good story to tell.  I was just asked to meet them, which I thought was annoying, but reasonable.  We journalist captives used to joke about these shrimp and smoked salmon events -- at least the food was good and occasionally we'd uncover a good story or a great contact for a future story.  No ethical lines were crossed.

At major executive conferences that are sometimes run by publications, invitation-only attendees pay high fees (not $25,000 high, of course) to have access to presentations by news-making companies and executives as well as to rub shoulders with key journalists and bloggers.  Again, no one is forced to write anything.  The journalists attending often band together for protection from the mobs.  But they also have free access to information, sources and people who could be useful to them.  Again, the ethical line is not crossed.

I think a number of mistakes were made with this situation, but I honestly don't believe it was an attempt to sell the editorial staff.  The biggest mistakes (in my opinion) were the high price tag, which made this salon uber-selective; the location at Weymouth's home, which made this seem very insider; calling it a salon, which suggests an invitation-only free event and not a pay-as-you-go meeting; and Weymouth's own visibility as a descendant of Katharine Graham.  Let's take these one at a time.

Price tag:  Let's assume the Post was letting a fairly large group of high-paying people in for what was essentially a high level executive conference with the intention of a discussion with the political newsmakers moderated by staff journalists.  The journalists may have been fair game for lobbyists or corporate guests to accost with ideas for stories about them or their companies.  But no one was going to make them write.  So aside from the price tag, what's the big difference between this and an executive conference that some of the Washington Post's competitors might hold? They charge attendees a hefty fee and also accept sponsorships.

Location:  If this same conference -- okay, salon -- had been priced differently and held at an upscale Washington hotel -- would there have been the same reaction?  I don't think so.

Salon:  Some of the coverage noted that Weymouth might have been trying to replicate her grandmother's famous dinner parties, which people were thrilled to be included in.  Certainly salons have been held by many pundits and important people over the years and being asked to participate has been considered an honor and a privilege.  What was being planned here sounds more like a high-level conference or seminar series - with a stiff price tag - and not an intimate gathering of important people whose very presence is usually considered their payment.

Weymouth's visibility:  If Weymouth had not just completed a publicity tour of her own with articles I read during my own recent vacation in magazines like Vogue, would this have raised people's ire as much?  I must admit that when I saw Weymouth on stage with Arianna Huffington at the All Things Digital conference in May -- where they seemed to have quite a love-fest going for two competitors for ad dollars and publicity -- I wondered whether this example of nepotism was the right move for this newspaper.  Hearing her at the conference and reading more about her since then, which may or may not have been a strategy of the Post, I got a good sense of her capabilities and assumed that this is a family committed to this newspaper who felt she had what it took to take it forward.  But I have to think that she's probably taking more lumps on this gaffe than someone who wasn't related to Katharine Graham would be taking.

In a journalism environment where BusinessWeek is for sale and publications are dropping like flies, I applaud the efforts of companies and publishers to try to keep them alive with new revenue opportunities.  I certainly don't want the journalists' ethics to be compromised in the process.  I guess I question whether this was the intention of this salon series in the first place.  The current blur of coverage, where the real truth gets covered quickly by opinions, attacks and assumptions makes it hard to make a clear assessment.  The quick cancellation of the event seems to show that it was not as well thought out as it should have been, but was more an approach to keep the paper afloat during a difficult time. 

So here's hoping Weymouth doesn't shy away from trying other more prudent approaches to raise revenue during this difficult time for newspapers and magazines.

"The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated." Mark Twain

Those of us who run or work for public relations agencies can definitely relate to Mark Twain's famous comment to a reporter. I actually thought the rumors that PR is going the way of the Ark had subsided for a while, but they seem to be surfacing again.

One of my clients, Ed Brice of Lumension, was kind enough to ask me to do a guest blog post about PR and social media and the first question he asked me to answer was about this topic. Then this week Tom Foremski's Silicon Valley Watcher Blog talks about "The New Rules in PR -- The Old Model is Dead."  Foremski describes us PR agency types as Wile E. Coyote running out of road as we chase the elusive Road Runner (our clients?). It's not an image that warms my heart.  Nor do I think it's accurate, although I agree with some of Foremski's assertions. He ends his post by saying he's going to check us out and states that he'd be open to guest blog posts. This is my own attempt to respond to his post, which really was a series of rumblings he's hearing from other sources wrapped with the doomsday Wile E. Coyote opening image.

In the spirit of Road Runner, let's cut right to the chase. PR agencies are not going away -- at least the smart ones aren't. It's called evolution and survival of the fittest. It got the best agencies in the tech industry through our horrific industry meltdown in the early part of this decade and it's going to help the best of all of us to bridge through the huge changes that are going on in communications, media and marketing in general. Are the survivors all going to be large agencies? I don't believe so. Size does help as it gives you the wherewithal to invest in technology and build new practices. It also helps you weather an economic storm a bit better than the tiniest of firms. I agree with Foremski and his sources that some existing agencies who cannot radically change their offerings in this brave new world of helping companies engage directly with their customers will not survive. But when the music stops, I firmly believe there will be smart, large, mid-size and smaller agencies and boutiques grabbing the chairs -- not just the giants.

He references that the economic model of agencies -- the retainer model and hourly rates -- is going to go away, replaced by a project model and payment based on outcomes rather than activities. Any good agency knows that they are only as good as the results they delivered today -- make that in the last hour. Our whole existence is predicated on us delivering a multiple of what we are paid to every client every day. But the entire consulting model is based on establishing a value for the time of the individuals who are retained. That is true for lawyers, management consultants and anyone who has expertise that is in demand. I think most agencies, large and small, are willing to work on a project basis for the right clients. But since PR is most effective when it is consistent and cumulative, an ongoing retained program provides the most value to any client. PR is also most effective when the agency team becomes an extension of the company itself and this is facilitated by an ongoing relationship of trust, rather than project-by-project or contingency-level PR.

I definitely agree with the sentiments that social media -- the catch-all phrase we're all using for this evolution in media and communications -- is now part and parcel of public relations and, indeed, marketing and is not something you bolt on or sprinkle on top of everything else. Just last week I was telling one of our clients who is still testing the social media waters that these programs are now table stakes for any company, whether they are consumer-facing or business-to-business. Although many companies in the latter category still feel this is not affecting them yet, customers are increasingly expecting anyone they buy from, large or small, to have a way to engage with them directly online and through channels like blogs, Facebook or Twitter. They want to know their vendors are willing to listen to them and talk with them directly, as well as through more traditional channels. The good agency partners for these companies are helping them navigate these changes in their programs.

All of us -- PR agencies, internal PR and marketing people, bloggers, journalists and brand-owners -- need to fundamentally adjust our models to address this new reality. It is not just the PR agencies who are nipping and tucking their programs and expanding their expertise to best serve clients and their clients' clients as the sands continue to shift. So please stop planning our funerals. We intend to be around doing good work for a very long time.

Message Consistency, Political Style

Pity the poor Republican Party.  Senator John Cornyn of Texas (where I am writing this post) who chairs the campaign committee for Senate Republicans, is trying mightily to get his Party members in line from a messaging standpoint.  He was quoted in the New York Times that he "was not happy when he heard other Republicans toss around the term 'racist'" about Supreme Court nominee Sonya Sotomayor.

“We are going to treat this nominee with the respect that she is entitled to,” Mr. Cornyn said in an interview this week.

Mr. Cornyn personifies the competing pressures Republicans face as they sort through how to handle the nomination of Judge Sotomayor, who is under attack from the right but is a symbol of pride for Hispanic Americans.

As a conservative former Texas Supreme Court justice, Mr. Cornyn might be expected to make a tough intellectual case against Judge Sotomayor. But as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, he also has to worry about how the confirmation battle plays across the nation. And his own future back home is somewhat tied to Hispanics who will be closely watching the confirmation proceedings.

One presumes his views may have influenced Newt Gingrich to dial back his remarks, admitting his initial statements were too extreme.  But think about Cornyn's immense charter -- and the Party's issue in general regarding messaging.  How do you get everyone in line and consistent when you don't have immediate authority or oversight over them?

We recently helped a global company conduct a worldwide launch of one of their brands.  A key element of the launch was consistency of core messages in all of the regions.  Naturally, there had to be some regional variations, but the overarching positioning had to be consistent for this to reestablish this brand competitively in the strongest way possible.  We conducted message training with all key regional spokespeople as part of this successful launch which resulted in measurable consistency of message pull-through in all regions.  The training was key, but even more critical was the emphasis on the importance of this consistency from the President and COO, who essentially led the launch and set the example by participating in message training himself.

As I read Gingrich's original attack on Sotomayor and then his recanting of his statement and Cornyn's interview, which seems to be an attempt to get other Republicans -- in office and otherwise -- to think before they speak and consider the larger Party issues at stake before spouting off, I realized just how massive an undertaking this is.  Someone needs to get everyone in line and singing from the same hymnal when the stakes are high.   I give credit to Cornyn for trying.

Social media's role in bankruptcy

Chris Brogan issued a thoughtful post this morning suggesting that we look at how GM would be using social media as part of its communications mix during its time in bankruptcy.  I agree, as doing so can reveal some interesting insights into how companies can use it is such a specific situation.

Looking at the @GMBlogs Twitter stream, the most intresting thread I see -- beyond the tweeting of the various press conferences today and answering customer questions about honoring warranties -- is how GM is keeping Michigan residents up-to-date in a personal one-on-one manner on how this could play out.  I've heard all kinds of stories about how bad the Michigan economy is, but seeing a tweet like this one helps me understand much better how folks there feel.

Seeing how GM responds says a lot about how it is using social media during such a scary time for so many directly and indirectly affected by the bankruptcy.

Looking forward to PR News Measurement Conference

In the current marketplace, ROI is king.  Measurement, therefore, gains in importance every day.  Because of this, I am very much looking forward to attending PR News' Measurement Conference in Washington, DC next week.  I am very grateful as well for the opportunity to speak on the panel for the session on "Media Measurement" at 9:45 a.m. on June 3.  I'll be joining four other very smart PR pros -- Shonali Burke, Geoff Burt, Adam Sohn, and Johna Burke.  Here's what we'll be covering:

This panel will provide the most practical and results-oriented techniques for measuring your media relations activities most effectively – from measuring blogs to mainsteam media coverage, to even measuring your media relationships. And most importantly, you'll get the tools and tactics you need to tie your media relations to business outcomes or public affairs goals. This panel moves beyond “media measurement 101” and toward strategies that will truly improve your organization's media relations and, in turn, your reputation in the eyes of the CEO and your stakeholders. You’ll hear what's working, what's not—as well as the latest ways to integrate media measurement into your organization's business goals. You'll also hear how to measure your failures, too, so you can stop spending money on efforts that's don't pay off.

I'm really looking forward to learning from top practitioners in the field about some innovative new techniques and approaches to measurement that I can bring back and apply for our clients.  Of course, I also will be tweeting from there, as I'm sure others will as well.  You can follow the conference by following the #prnews hashtag on Twitter.

The Empire Strikes Back at "D"

After watching many very young entrepreneurs hold court at elite technology conferences like the Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital "D" conference over the years, it's been gratifying this year to see the experienced managers hogging the limelight at D7. The conference opened with the young Twitter founders Evan Williams and Biz Stone, who admit they don't know everything, but nonetheless seem like they at least know what they don't know and are trying to find the answers. They don't evidence the dangerous combination of ignorance and arrogance that some young founders/CEOs have displayed in the past. But they were seriously trumped today by some real pro's, Carol Bartz of Yahoo! and John Malone of Liberty Media, in particular.

Given the state of Yahoo! and the skepticism about the task she faces there, Bartz surprised everyone, I believe, and dominated her interview with a confident, edgy style that made it clear she knows what she is facing and may just be the best person for the job.  More importantly, she articulated the true value and differentiators Yahoo! has -- its personalization -- while she was restoring confidence by asserting there is a strong, experienced leader at the helm now. Similarly, though Malone did not evidence Carol's sense of humor, but he so clearly understood the cable model and the requirements for monetizing content that no questions from the stage or the floor could rattle him. He was knowledge personified and you had to respect him for it.

As I was watching the various speakers, it became clear to me why some were more effective than others. This venue more than perhaps any other requires an ability to engage with the interviewer in an interesting conversation. Someone who is too studied in their messages or who leans too heavily on "no comment" phrases will not fare as well. A sense of humor and ability to candidly disagree without defensiveness, as Bartz did, wins the day. Even the style of dress makes a difference. The audience is mostly business casual, so a too formal approach, such as a suit and tie, can be a detriment to the speaker's perceived accessibility. The CEO of Nokia, for example, had an open collar shirt rather than the more formal attire of the CEO of AT&T, and it worked better.

In this tough economic period, there's something comforting about seeing experienced people at the helm and on the podium. Carol Bartz snapped right back when Kara Swisher asked her whether she needed a visionary number two, "Because I'm too old and stupid to understand the Internet?!" She then reminded her interviewer that her co-producer Walt Mossberg is a year older than she is. Maybe that has something to do with the shift in demographics this year -- that plus the omnipresence of Rupert Murdoch at the conference.  Whatever the reason, it's refreshing. I've done a lot less eye-rolling than I have at some past conferences. 

A nice view into All Things Digital conference (#D7)

Lois is currently at D7, the 7th annual All Things Digital conference run by Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg.  I'm sure she'll come back with some great blog fodder and share her views on what came out of the confab, but I'd like to point our readers to how you can follow her real-time commentary on Twitter.

Given her passion for working with our clients on executive communications, I've personally valued her commentary from the standpoint of how well they've performed when grilled on stage by Kara and Walt.  She had some positive comments about how well the Twitter guys -- Ev and Biz -- did last night (the latest of her critiques).

This link takes you to the specific tweets that she has made from the event.  I've captured a snapshot of it here as well.

 

June is New England Innovation Month (spread the word - #neinno)

 

As we get ready for Memorial Day weekend, this is always the time when we can really start to look forward to summer.  On tap for June is New England Innovation Month.  I caught a tweet from @ScottKirsner this morning with a link to the web site.

The initiative is all about coming together to fuel innovation as a way to help us get out of this downturn.  The site has a list of events for our community to do so.  Bill McLaughlin blogged about one of them recently -- The What's Next in Tech event on June 25. 

As for me, I'll be at the MassNetComms Innovator's Summit on June 17, tweeting from there using the #neinno hashtag.  If you can't attend and want to follow what innovations are being presented, please feel free to follow me on Twitter (@TedWeismann).

What event will you be attending?

Apply PR Like Sunscreen, Before you Get Burned, Not After

I just can't resist addressing the latest Roger Clemens media move, particularly since he made a big show of being armed with PR counsel that the New York Daily News described as "his third public relations expert since he was identified as a steroid user in the Mitchell Report."

Reading the coverage and listening to the chatter on sports radio here in Boston, where Red Sox Nation are not fans of Clemens, I was curious to hear just how he was trying to use PR.  I assumed it was as a human shield against the allegations coming out in the new book, "American Icon", which is hitting store shelves.

It was for that purpose and more.  Clearly Clemens is determined to continue to refute the allegations of steroid abuse that he knows will be amplified in the new book, which was written by four reporters from the Daily News.  That certainly is his right.  He's clearly angry that all of this will be dredged up again and he obviously wanted to speak his piece about it so he pulled in a new PR counsel, a crisis expert, to help him hit the airwaves and column inches once again. 

One can only speculate what the prep session between this new counsel and Clemens was like.  They may have counseled him to continue to deprive the story of oxygen by refusing to comment or just providing a statement.  Clemens may have insisted he wanted to talk, and insisted they help him figure out what to say.  It seems to me that what they arrived at as a solution was to go on the popular sports radio station, Mike and Mike in the Morning to recast Roger Clemens as a good guy, a family guy who is community minded and focused on his foundation, charities and telling kids to stay away from steroids.  The only news Clemens offered in response to the direct questions about the steroid allegations by Mike Greenberg was that he would have been insane to take steroids because of the history of heart disease in his family.  The reference to his brother's heart attack was a good proof point for this assertion.  Adding his stepfather's death by a heart attack moved this to a theater of the absurd.  In the midst of it all, Clemens was very specific in proudly pushing forward his PR counsel and making him part of the story.

Clemens has many lessons to learn from all of this, but an understanding of what PR is all about is one of them.  First of all, PR belongs in the background and not as part of the story.  It is our job to help the people who are making the news and creating the products do the best job they can to tell their story accurately, concisely and in an interesting enough way to earn good coverage that will positively impact their various constituencies.  In tough times, PR helps companies get to the truth of a tough situation and provide the facts, within legal and corporate governance constraints.  An excellent role for PR is reputation management for companies and high profile individuals.  But that isn't a band-aid that can be applied after crisis hits.  You can help someone rehabilitate their image in a marketplace, but this does not happen overnight.  PR done correctly is iterative and cumulative.  It is a strategic process and not a twelfth hour event.  Crisis management cannot change a person's image, especially when that individual seems determined to keep talking when silence is the better form of valor.

Perhaps Clemens might have been better served by getting the hero of the old TV program, Quantum Leap, to leap into his body and go back in time to either change some facts (Clemens is still innocent until proven guilty in this country) or at least hire PR earlier in the process to build the more likeable image he's expecting his third agency to tack on now.

What's Next in Tech to Showcase Blooming Technology in New England

Sure signs of spring in New England. Fenway is filled, the Celts are defending their title and even the Bruins are making noise in the playoffs. To these we can add What's Next in Tech Event. Orchestrated by the Boston Globe's Innovation Economy columnist, Scott Kirsner, this event will bring together the leaders of New England's technology community to showcase and discuss the latest trends, hottest technologies and emerging companies in the region. 

It should be a great event. As they say, hope springs eternal and that sentiment should be in full force when attendees get the opportunity to hear the latest innovations in mobile computing, gaming, cleantech, robotics, social media and more. Here are the logistics on the event:

Thursday, June 25, 2009 from 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM (ET)

Boston University
School of Management
595 Commonwealth Ave.
Boston, Massachusetts 02215

Hope to see you there.  Also, look for my tweets (billmcl) from the event.