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CBS Fiasco - Crisis Communication 101
Steve Adubato, Ph.D.
The recent CBS News public fiasco over “memogate” offers
a variety of lessons for any organization that faces a public problem
over some organizational error or screw up. This column will not
focus on issues of journalist ethics but rather on how organizations
and leaders should and shouldn’t respond when things go wrong
so quickly. The following are some of the mistakes made by CBS main
anchor Dan Rather, who has spent over 40 years in the communication
business and one might think he would have known better.
- We all make mistakes - that’s not the issue; the issue
is what you do once you make them. Your goal is to get the mistake
out to the public as quickly as possible, and the negative publicity
you’re bound to get behind you. CBS didn’t do this.
In fact, quite the opposite. This story has dragged on longer
than it should have.
- When you make a mistake you have to be the one to acknowledge
it publicly, even if YOU think the criticism that you are facing
isn’t fair and/or the entire story isn’t told. All
of that is irrelevant. CBS should not have waited for its enemies,
competitors and others to challenge the veracity of National Guard
documents in question. It’s simple - you have to get ahead
of the story, the problem and criticism. The only way to do that
is to be willing to admit mistakes and be prepared to apologize
before you focus on defending your actions.
- When you do apologize it must be done almost immediately, not
12 days later as was the case with CBS. The original report involving
the now highly questionable documents aired on September 8 and
no apology or admission of wrongdoing came until September 20.
That’s simply too long, particularly these days. The longer
it takes to apologize and admit the mistake, the less chance you
will be given the benefit of the doubt.
- CBS compounded the problem by essentially attacking its critics
saying this was simply a question of competitors and enemies trying
to make them look bad. That may be true in part but it’s
irrelevant. The motive of your critics is not the issue. The only
thing that matters is the conduct of the organization and how
it is presented to the public. Criticizing and lashing out only
makes you look defensive and weak.
- When you do apologize, it must be full and complete without
any caveats or explanations. CBS still hasn’t done that.
They have argued the story may be true even though the documents
they used to make their point may have been bogus. When you apologize
you are not supposed to say “I’m sorry BUT…..”
There are no “buts” when you apologize, no caveats,
or any further errors being made that are made in good faith are
just as irrelevant. Even if they were made in good faith, no one
cares. A mistake is a mistake, and explanations really don’t
matter - fair or not.
- Finally, apologies should be directed to the people who were
hurt, especially President Bush and CBS viewers who have come
to trust the organization for their fairness and accuracy. An
apology should go to other news organizations who CBS initially
blasted in an effort to deflect attention. Once again CBS has
not done that. Apologies can’t be general statements that
something went wrong but rather directed to those who have been
adversely affected by your actions.
- This never should have been an issue of crisis communication
or management. It should have simply been about a public error
made that was quickly resolved by acknowledging what went wrong
and by making a public commitment to get things right in the future.
Again, this isn’t about journalism or the media - it’s
about organizations and leaders who make decisions in the public
domain.
- This is only a case study for how not to handle a public problem
- the lessons of this CBS public relations debacle should resonate
for businesses, universities, non-profits or any organization
or individual that makes mistakes with public implications. As
we learned with Watergate, it is rarely the crime that gets you
in trouble. It’s usually the cover up. It’s rarely
the mistake or error that creates the biggest problem it’s
usually the stonewalling, delaying, pointing fingers and lack
of willingness to take full responsibility for its actions.
In a world dominated by instantaneous information and a culture
constantly playing news media that is constantly looking to play
“gotcha,” having a solid “apology strategy “
is an essential element in any organizational communication plan.
Dr. Steve Adubato coaches and speaks on the subjects of communication
and leadership and is the author of the book "Speak from the
Heart." Write to him at The Star-Ledger, 1 Star-Ledger Plaza,
Newark, NJ 07102, visit his Web site at www.stand-deliver.com,
or e-mail him at sadubato@aol.com.
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