The Good, The Bad, The Spin
Collected Salvos on Public Relations, New Media and Journalism
Bob Conrad, PhD, APR
Published by XSG Media (www.xsgmedia.com) at Smashwords
SECOND EDITION | Smashwords Edition
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Copyright © 2010 by Bob Conrad
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What others are saying about The Good, The Bad, The Spin
“No matter who you are, or how you interact with the on-line world, this book is a good reminder that the ultimate goal of communication is the dissemination of truth.”
“Includes important tips and lessons learned from a variety of fascinating examples. Read it to learn or read it for pure entertainment.”
—Judy
Strauss, Ph.D.
Marketing Professor, University of Nevada, Reno,
co-author, Radically Transparent: Monitoring and Managing
Reputation Online
Chapter 3 – Crisis and Controversy
It is an exciting time to observe the changing media landscape. As a blogger, and one who views all kinds of communications from the perspective of a public relations professional, there is perhaps no greater time in history than now to aim a critical eye at the emergence of the increasing levels and types of communications among people as we more and more transition from print media to mobile and online technologies.
Information today is far more abundant than it ever has been, which for me means that we must be ever more cautious about how to process incoming information. The Good, The Bad, The Spin, the blog and now this book, is my way of seeking out the gems from the mass of stimuli. Because of increased amount of information via the news media, blogs, Web sites, radio, television and movies, it is far easier now to be swayed by misinformation and our own fallible thinking processes.
To be human, as science has shown, is to be easily swayed by our perceptions of our surroundings. Social psychologist Robert Cialdini, in his seminal book called Influence: Science and Practice, says the future must be vigilant about information overload. Specifically, “because technology can evolve much faster than we can, our natural capacity to process information is likely to be increasingly inadequate to handle the abundance of change, choice and the challenge that is characteristic of modern life.
“More and more frequently, we will find ourselves in the position of lower animals – with a mental apparatus that is unequipped to deal thoroughly with the intricacy and richness of the outside world,” he continues.
Being aware of this reality, especially in a time when we must, now more than ever, guard against information overload, is therefore critical. But we must first be cognizant that information overload is occurring in the first place. It is because of this that I regularly reflect on what is passing through our filters and what sense is being made of it.
To merely question what many of us take for granted is often viewed on some levels as being heretical. What makes it more fascinating is that public relations as a profession often engenders niceties more than reflective thought – and, it could be argued, the profession does not exactly mandate critical thinking. Nevertheless, I find the profession, in conjunction with how communications is transforming, to be an optimum place for questions and critiques, especially when information dissemination is so quickly evolving.
The Public Relations Society of America’s Code of Ethics mandates accuracy and honesty; yet, we as practitioners are greatly misunderstood and are quick to delve into deception. Public relations professionals are too often viewed as “flacks,” “spin doctors” and outright scumbags – and for good reason. We hold a high-level responsibility for accurate, timely and fair information release, but we too often falter in performing our even basic functions, let alone sticking with fundamental ethics.
While critical of the PR profession, as well as the news media, my intention with this book is an increased understanding among public relations professionals, the news media and the public at large about what it is we, PR folks, are doing and why.
Because of this, I have divided the book into four sections. The first addresses social media head on. As the newest type of online communication, my perspective of social media is one of both exuberance and caution. As online technologies evolve, the potentials for success and abuse amplify greatly.
The next section is about science, and more particularly, how we as people interpret information. Science provides humanity a wonderful tool for how to best perceive our surroundings, and I give specific examples as to why this is so, from why we are poor thinkers to the cost of putting our emotions above what science and research tells us.
Though science gives us a better way to perceive our surroundings, not responding reasonably to information can exacerbate confusion, misinformation and, in worst cases, crisis and controversy. In the “Crisis and Controversy” section I look at how controversies and crises occur and point to specific examples of how to detect when a crisis may be on the horizon.
Finally, journalism has a long-standing tradition in America, one that remains in doubt as newspapers are either shutting down operations or transitioning to being online only. I point out basic fallacies in noted news reporting and explain how public relations fits into and can set a positive example for the role of journalism in society.
Even though these topics are focused around the public relations perspective, it is my hope that most can take something away from these short essays. Anybody involved in social media technologies, journalism or who is a student of current events will find this book of value. I hope each takes away new perspectives about how to interpret the vast amount of information around us.
I welcome your comments and can be reached at www.thegoodthebadthespin.com.
Bob Conrad
Reno, Nevada
November 2009
Social Media: A word of caution
For the unknowing, social media and its oft associated terms, such as wikis, blogs, Youtube, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter and so on, can be intimidating and confusing for people not familiar with these online technologies.
Here’s a simple definition: Social media, often also called new media, is best understood as technology that is first, online, and second, is interactive. More and more you are seeing less on the Web in which you are merely a passive reader or viewer.
Now, you have the ability to talk back. You can review the books you’ve read on Amazon. You can rate and comment on videos on Youtube. You can even post your own video response. You don’t like what a news reporter writes? Many news sites allow you to write back and publicly post your comments.
For many of us, especially those in the communications professions, there’s a tendency to jump into the social media fray and attempt to exploit the hell out of it. I remember viewing one person’s online profile somewhere. He had every way to contact him listed, including his Myspace page, Skype number, Facebook page, Twitter page, LinkedIn profile, Web site, blog and so on.
This is overboard. I recommend judicious use of social media. Used effectively, social media can be very effective for communications. Used without critical thought, though, social media can be expensive in terms of the vast amounts of time spent on tasks and learning that do not show a significant return.
Here are five strategies for approaching the use of social media in ways that are less time intensive and more effective for communications.
1. Think of social media as one strategy among many. Social media’s newness doesn’t inherently make it superior to another ingredient in the marketing mix. Just as a strategy embracing display advertising, of which one tactic could be roadside billboards, is part of the mix, social media should also be considered among many other strategies to communicate a message or participate in a conversation.
2. Consider your audience. Embrace social media if your target audience also embraces social media. This is basic targeting. If a Huffington Post writer loves your company’s blog but your top-level constituents aren’t reading the blog, your use of a blog isn’t as effective as it could be. Many people still don’t use computers, and even if they do, there’s no guarantee your audience will embrace your social media efforts.
3. Reside somewhere between early adopters and the early majority. Being too hungry as an early adopter can be risky (and incredibly rewarding), as many innovations, especially those with quickly advancing technologies, fail to catch on. The much-hyped Second Life is a case in point. Major buzz ultimately couldn’t salvage what was once heralded as the next great social media phenomenon, but which remains on the backburner of social media as I write this. There’s a valid return-on-investment reason to wait to embrace the latest online trend: time. Social media is not inherently expensive, but the time investment is immense. Test the waters before jumping into them.
4. Monitor the innovators. I take a three-part stance toward social media hype. I typically recommend,
a. Watching what the innovators are doing, until I am
b. Seeing the utility of a social media outlet/technology for my purposes, and then am
c.Finding a way to effectively use it to meet communication objectives.
It took me months to see the usefulness of the micro-blogging phenomenon, Twitter. Twitter may be a helpful technology in part because its hype is being played out in the numbers of users joining. This is as opposed to Plurk, which is similar to Twitter but has not reached the same level of popularity as Twitter.
5. Use what works (well). If your goal is increased views of your DIY video, loading the video into an online video engine few people know about simply because the engine is cooler and more robust than Youtube’s, indicates your priorities may be askew. Youtube remains the most visited video site so including it as part of your online media mix should be considered.
There are many other considerations about using social media. More and more of our lives are moving online, but our experience will likely never be entirely digital. Our level of hype, therefore, should keep this in mind.
BLOGS: Why Public Relations pros Should be Using them
Blogs inundate the Internet and it’s questionable to assume the technology is ultimately the best way to get one’s message across. It’s wise to be guarded about trends, especially in public relations. Conversely, it’s wise to follow communications trends to be aware of where and how people will get their information.
Consider blogs the independent media of the day. When I was in journalism school, I took part in what was then being called the ‘zine revolution, wherein independent publishers printed booklets, journals, newspapers and magazines on shoestring budgets. The impact was similar to how blogs break stories today. In the mid- to late-90s mainstream media outlets like TIME Magazine were doing cover features on the “zine revolution.”
The advent of desktop publishing had put into the hands of the lay public the means to communicate beyond normal channels. Media became more democratized, and consumers relied less on traditional news outlets. People paid attention as zines drove news stories on occasion when the mainstream news media either couldn’t or was blind to other important stories in the world.
Blogs serve the same function today, yet even more dramatically. Zines never had the impact to shift the entire direction of the news media the way blogs do today – though, the independent press indubitably laid the foundation for blogs – probably because consuming blog content is free and more accessible.
This is why public relations professionals should go beyond just monitoring blog content and actually generating it themselves. There are three main reasons why:
1. Blogs publish information in real time. It’s obvious to say, but the need to release and respond to information in a timely manner is more critical now than ever. Organizations that fail to respond quickly to allegations and attacks will in effect be giving tacit strength to their critics’ complaints. Blogs offer a mechanism to respond quickly and affirmatively.