Doctor SpinThe PR BlogCrisis CommunicationsThe Old Founder Who Allowed the Media to Destroy Him

The Old Founder Who Allowed the Media to Destroy Him

There's the reported story โ€” and then there's the real story.

Cover photo: @jerrysilfwer

I met an old founder who allowed the media to desยญtroy him.

Many years ago, I got an email about a comยญpany in a severe crisis. The email was sent from a worยญried and conยญcerned famยญily memยญber to the founder and actยญing CEO. 

I knew about the comยญpany since the crisis had been plastered all over the news for a few days. I rememยญber readยญing the newsยญpaยญpers, thinkยญing that โ€œthis comยญpany is neck-deep in crap.โ€

So, I called the old founder up. He was an older man who starยญted young and built the comยญpany from the ground up. He seemed very conยญfidยญent and not startled by the comยญmoยญtion around his comยญpany; howยญever, he felt he could use proยญfesยญsionยญal help to manยญage the media storm. 

A PR colยญleague and I jumped on a plane. 

I was feelยญing a bit uneasy about the whole thing. I help organยญisaยญtions comยญmuยญnicยญate betยญter for a livยญing, and thatโ€™s a good reasยญon to get up in the morning โ€ฆ

โ€ฆ but would this be a case of helpยญing evil forces evade whatโ€™s rightยญfully comยญing to them? 

According to the media reports, peopleโ€™s lives had been at risk to save money and increase profits. And the old founder seemed dirยญectly implicยญated. But the old founder hadยญnโ€™t offered any comยญments, desยญpite being chased by numerยญous journalists.

I thought about all the defence attorยญneys of the world:

Everyone, even the bad guys, has the right to a solยญid legยญal defence. And weโ€™re all betยญter off for it because it safeยญguards our legยญal sysยญtem and democracy.

Is everyยญone entitled to a rhetยญorยญicยญal defence in the spirยญit of free speech and openยญness? I thought of myself as a defence attorยญney not in the court of law but in the court of pubยญlic opinยญion. It was a romantic idea to make me feel a little bit easier.

Admittedly, I was also excited. Crisis comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtions as a PR pracยญtice can be thrillยญing and emoยญtionยญally powerful.

We arrived at the old founderยญโ€™s home, and the famยญily memยญber who had sent me the email led us upstairs to a makeยญshift conยญferยญence room. The old founder was a no-nonยญsense man; he asked us to lay out our plan for manยญaging the crisis.

Perhaps I had hoped for a cofยญfee first, but as a seniยญor adviser, I know when to get down to busiยญness and disยญpense with small talk.

โ€œFirst,โ€ I said, โ€œwe must get the facts and estabยญlish trust in our small group.โ€

The old founder seemed to appreยญciยญate my openยญer, so I kept going.

โ€œThen, based on facts, we must develยญop a narยญratยญive that works for us. And withยญin that narยญratยญive, we must find a lead. Change the lead, change the story.โ€

I conยญtinยญued: โ€œWe will also bring onboard legยญal counยญsel. If thereโ€™s any responsยญibยญilยญity to be taken, we must pubยญlicly get out in front of the issue. This will include speakยญing with the media as soon as posยญsible. Itโ€™ll likely be a good opporยญtunยญity to empathยญise and acknowยญledge any pain and sufยญferยญingโ€‰โ€”โ€‰even if we canยญnot acknowยญledge any legยญal responsยญibยญilยญity. In any case, we will make sure that you are prepared.โ€

The old founder was still calm and colยญlecยญted. I added:

โ€œWhen the silence is broken, weโ€™ll need to push for a parยญalยญlel internยญal proยญcess in which your comยญpany takes a series of actions. Breaking the silence and speakยญing with the media will be tough, but speakยญing alone wonโ€™t be enough. We must demonยญstrate that your comยญpany is also doing someยญthing because of whatโ€™s happened. Actions speak louder than words.โ€

I felt that I had the floor, so I pressed forward:

โ€œWith the silence broken and your comยญpany takยญing action, our focus will be to ride the wave and make solยญid tacยญticยญal decisions based on sound judgeยญment and conยญstant media monยญitยญorยญing. Itโ€™ll be tough, but youโ€™ll ride out the worst storm by being pubยญlicly availยญable and accomยญmodยญatยญing. Once out of the immeยญdiยญate storm, we begin restorยญing the brandโ€™s trust.โ€

The old founder gathered that I was about done, so he cleared his throat and got ready to say someยญthing, only to be interยญrupยญted by the parยญtiยญcipยญatยญing famยญily member:

She was upset.
And she went on to explain what had happened.

As it turned out, the old founder wasยญnโ€™t guilty of malice. It was an employยญee who had broken the rules by misยญtake. Not for perยญsonยญal profit or gain, just a misยญtake. It could be easยญily proven, too. The employยญee had been loyยญal for decยญades, with only months to retire.

However, the news media had already gone two- or even three full circles, ripยญping the brand and the old founder to shreds. In the eyes of everyยญone readยญing a newsยญpaยญper, the old founder was guilty.

I quickly glanced over at my PR colยญleague, and Iโ€™m sure her thoughts were roughly the same as mine. In my head, it sounยญded someยญthing like this:

โ€œSo, we present evidยญence of the misยญtake and disยญproof any allegยญaยญtions of malice or undue profยญitยญeerยญing; thatโ€™s our new lead. We apoยญloยญgise and comยญpensate those affected, and we fire the employยญee. We estabยญlish new proยญtoยญcols to ensure the same misยญtake can nevยญer hapยญpen again. And then we take it from there.โ€

But the old founder, almost as if he was able to read my mind, finally spoke:

โ€œNo,โ€ he said.

The employยญee who had made a misยญtake was one of the comยญpanyโ€™s first employยญees. The old founder refused to hang this loyยญal coworkยญer out to dry, espeยญcially with only a few months to retirement.

โ€œThe negยญatยญive media would crush him and his famยญily,โ€ he said. 

โ€œBut Iโ€ฆ I can take it.โ€

And take it, he did. New securยญity proยญtoยญcols were impleยญmenยญted to ensure that such misยญtakes could nevยญer hapยญpen again. Affected parties were handยญsomely comยญpensated. And durยญing all this, the old founder took full responsยญibยญilยญity, apoยญloยญgised, and retired. He left his comยญpany to youngยญer famยญily members. 

And the employยญee who made a misยญtake got to retire with a large celยญebยญraยญtion and a happy family.

The incidยญent was disยญcussed in the news media for quite some time afterยญwards. And everyยญone was sure that the ownยญer was an evil older manโ€‰โ€”โ€‰even later when the old founder was freed from legยญal charges.

Maybe the old founder made the right decision. Maybe he didยญnโ€™t. Who knows? It was his decision, not anyยญone elseโ€™s. Ultimately, he took the blame and shame into retireยญment and allowed a new genยญerยญaยญtion to start anew.

For a couple of months, my PR colยญleague and I did what we could to accomยญmodยญate the old founderยญโ€™s dirยญecยญtions. And thatโ€™s that.

So, why am I telling you this story?

When a media story is based on what people have told journยญalยญists, you can nevยญer be 100% sure that what youโ€™re being told is what truly happened. Some accounts are nevยญer challenged.

We would all beneยญfit from rememยญberยญing that thereโ€™s a realยญity behind and beyยญond the reporยญted media narยญratยญive. Not all those porยญtrayed as devยญils are evil. And not all those porยญtrayed as saints are good.

Signature - Jerry Silfwer - Doctor Spin

Thank you. Please supยญport my blog by sharยญing artยญicles with othยญer comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtions- and marยญketยญing proยญfesยญsionยญals. Please also conยญsider my PR serยญvices or speakยญing engageยญments.

PR Resource: The Public Apology

The Public Apology

A pubยญlic apoยญlogy is, by nature, an ambiguยญous stateยญment; it ranges from subยญmissive remorse to a cheยญvaยญlierยญโ€™s trope of humbly expressยญing that the outยญcome was all that one could musterโ€‰โ€”โ€‰desยญpite best efforts.

The public apology.
The pubยญlic apology.

โ€œPublic apoยญloยญgies funcยญtion as rituยญalยญistยญic pubยญlic punยญishยญment and humiยญliยญation, rather than forยญgiveยญness, to enforce ethยญicยญal standยญards for pubยญlic speech.โ€
Source: Rhetoric Society Quarterly 1Ellwanger, A. (2012). Apology as Metanoic Performance: Punitive Rhetoric and Public Speech. Rhetoric Society Quarterly, 42, 307โ€‰โ€”โ€‰329. https://โ€‹doiโ€‹.org/โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹.โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹8โ€‹0โ€‹/โ€‹0โ€‹2โ€‹7โ€‹7โ€‹3โ€‹9โ€‹4โ€‹5โ€‹.โ€‹2โ€‹0โ€‹1โ€‹2โ€‹.โ€‹7โ€‹0โ€‹4โ€‹118

The audiยญence will not conยญsider anyยญoneโ€™s pubยญlic apoยญlogy until they underยญstand why someone did what they did and how they feel about doing it. This ambiยญguยญity is why sayยญing, โ€œI apoยญloยญgiseโ€ is nevยญer enoughโ€‰โ€”โ€‰you must also express regret and explain yourself.

Anatomy of an Apology

  • The apoยญlogy. (โ€œI apologise.โ€)
  • The regret. (โ€œIโ€™m sorry.โ€)
  • The explanยญaยญtion. (โ€œThis is why.โ€)

Types of Public Apologies

There are sevยญerยญal difยญferยญent types of apoยญloยญgies to avoid. Unfortunately, as far as pubยญlic apoยญloยญgies go, these types of pubยญlic apoยญloยญgies are widely usedโ€‰โ€”โ€‰often with devยญastยญatยญing PR consequences.

  • The non-apoยญlogy. (โ€œI apoยญloยญgise, and Iโ€™m sorry you feel this way.โ€)
  • The deflectยญive apoยญlogy. (โ€œI apoยญloยญgise, and Iโ€™m sorry I was misยญinยญformed or took bad advice.โ€)
  • The pathoยญloยญgicยญal apoยญlogy. (โ€œI apoยญloยญgise, and Iโ€™m sorry I got caught.โ€)
  • The grandยญstandยญing apoยญlogy. (โ€œI apoยญloยญgise, and Iโ€™m sorry, but I acted accordยญing to my morยญal convictions.โ€)
  • The defeatยญist apoยญlogy. (โ€œI apoยญloยญgise, and Iโ€™m sorry this didnโ€™t work out how it was supยญposed to.โ€)
  • The charยญacยญter apoยญlogy. (โ€œI apoยญloยญgise, and Iโ€™m sorryโ€‰โ€”โ€‰Iโ€™m unwell and need help.โ€)
  • The cirยญcumยญstanยญtial apoยญlogy. (โ€œI apoยญloยญgise, and Iโ€™m sorry I wasnโ€™t betยญter prepared.โ€)
  • The transยญacยญtionยญal apoยญlogy. (โ€œI apoยญloยญgise, and Iโ€™m sorry, but I have since paid my dues.โ€)

From a PR perยญspectยญive, I recomยญmend only one type of apology:

  • The Stoic apoยญlogy. (โ€œI apoยญloยญgise, and Iโ€™m sorryโ€‰โ€”โ€‰I did wrong, and I take full responsยญibยญilยญity for my actions.โ€)

Moving Into the Next Stage

Apart from an honยญest delivยญery, this is what a wrongยญdoยญer must underยญstand about the straยญtegic use of a pubยญlic apoยญlogy as a straยญtegic tool:

Public apoยญloยญgies are not a methยญod of obtainยญing absoยญluยญtion or mitยญigยญatยญing the loss of pubยญlic trust. Forgiveness and trust must be earned sepยญarยญately and in the long term.

A pubยญlic apoยญlogy is a tool to allow the media narยญratยญive to move into the next stage soonยญer rather than laterโ€‰โ€”โ€‰whatever that stage might hold in store for the wrongdoer.

Learn more: The Public Apology

PR Resource: Perception Management

Walter Lippmann: Public Opinion and Perception Management

No one bases their attiยญtudes and behaยญviours on realยญity; we base them on our perยญcepยญtions of realยญity.

Walter Lippmann (1889โ€‰โ€“โ€‰1974) proยญposed that our perยญcepยญtions of realยญity difยญfer from the actuยญal realยญity. The realยญity is too vast and too comยญplex for anyยญone to proยญcess. 2Lippmann, Walter. 1960. Public Opinion (1922). New York: Macmillan.

  • One who effectยญively manยญages the perยญcepยญtions of pubยญlics acts as a morยญal legisยญlatยญor, capยญable of shapยญing attiยญtudes and behaยญviours accordยญing to the catยญegorยญicยญal imperative.

The research on perยญcepยญtion manยญageยญment is focused on how organยญisaยญtions can creยญate a desired reputation:

โ€œThe OPM [Organizational Perception Management] field focuses on the range of activยญitยญies that help organยญisaยญtions estabยญlish and/โ€‹or mainยญtain a desired repuยญtaยญtion (Staw et al., 1983). More speยญcificยญally, OPM research has primarยญily focused on two interยญreยญlated factors: (1) the timยญing and goals of perยญcepยญtion manยญageยญment activยญitยญies and (2) speยญcifยญic perยญcepยญtion manยญageยญment tacยญtics (Elsbach, 2006).โ€
Source: Organization Development Journal 3Hargis, M. & Watt, John. (2010). Organizational perยญcepยญtion manยญageยญment: A frameยญwork to overยญcome crisis events. Organization Development Journal. 28. 73โ€‰โ€“โ€‰87. โ€ฆ Continue readยญing

Today, our perยญcepยญtions are heavยญily influยญenced by news media, influยญenยญcers, algorithms, and social graphs. Therefore, perยญcepยญtion manยญageยญment is more critยญicยญal than ever.

โ€œWe are all capยญtives of the picยญture in our headโ€‰โ€”โ€‰our belief that the world we have experยญiยญenced is the world that really exists.โ€
โ€” Walter Lippmann (1889โ€‰โ€“โ€‰1974)

Learn more: Walter Lippmann: Public Opinion and Perception Management

Annotations
Annotations
1 Ellwanger, A. (2012). Apology as Metanoic Performance: Punitive Rhetoric and Public Speech. Rhetoric Society Quarterly, 42, 307โ€‰โ€”โ€‰329. https://โ€‹doiโ€‹.org/โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹.โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹8โ€‹0โ€‹/โ€‹0โ€‹2โ€‹7โ€‹7โ€‹3โ€‹9โ€‹4โ€‹5โ€‹.โ€‹2โ€‹0โ€‹1โ€‹2โ€‹.โ€‹7โ€‹0โ€‹4โ€‹118
2 Lippmann, Walter. 1960. Public Opinion (1922). New York: Macmillan.
3 Hargis, M. & Watt, John. (2010). Organizational perยญcepยญtion manยญageยญment: A frameยญwork to overยญcome crisis events. Organization Development Journal. 28. 73โ€‰โ€“โ€‰87. https://โ€‹wwwโ€‹.researchgโ€‹ateโ€‹.net/โ€‹pโ€‹uโ€‹bโ€‹lโ€‹iโ€‹cโ€‹aโ€‹tโ€‹iโ€‹oโ€‹nโ€‹/โ€‹2โ€‹8โ€‹8โ€‹2โ€‹9โ€‹2โ€‹5โ€‹9โ€‹6โ€‹_โ€‹Oโ€‹rโ€‹gโ€‹aโ€‹nโ€‹iโ€‹zโ€‹aโ€‹tโ€‹iโ€‹oโ€‹nโ€‹aโ€‹lโ€‹_โ€‹pโ€‹eโ€‹rโ€‹cโ€‹eโ€‹pโ€‹tโ€‹iโ€‹oโ€‹nโ€‹_โ€‹mโ€‹aโ€‹nโ€‹aโ€‹gโ€‹eโ€‹mโ€‹eโ€‹nโ€‹tโ€‹_โ€‹Aโ€‹_โ€‹fโ€‹rโ€‹aโ€‹mโ€‹eโ€‹wโ€‹oโ€‹rโ€‹kโ€‹_โ€‹tโ€‹oโ€‹_โ€‹oโ€‹vโ€‹eโ€‹rโ€‹cโ€‹oโ€‹mโ€‹eโ€‹_โ€‹cโ€‹rโ€‹iโ€‹sโ€‹iโ€‹sโ€‹_โ€‹eโ€‹vโ€‹eโ€‹nts
Jerry Silfwer
Jerry Silfwerhttps://doctorspin.net/
Jerry Silfwer, alias Doctor Spin, is an awarded senior adviser specialising in public relations and digital strategy. Currently CEO at Spin Factory and KIX Communication Index. Before that, he worked at Kaufmann, Whispr Group, Springtime PR, and Spotlight PR. Based in Stockholm, Sweden.

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The cover photo has

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