The Good, The Bad, The Spin

We know a crisis can easily kill a leader, especially those unskilled in managing crises, relating to the media and generally having a presence of ineptitude when dealing with key publics.

But can a crisis elevate a leader over the long term? National Public Radio gives the question a whirl by examining Rudy Giuliani’s mayoral success before and after 9-11. The piece is basically spot on.

NPR quotes David Letterman during the 9-11 aftermath:

“If you’re like me and you’re watching and you’re confused and depressed and irritated and angry and full of grief and you don’t know how to behave,” Letterman said, all you have to do is watch the mayor.

Critics, though, question Giuliani’s last judgment, especially as a potential future president.

“No one would say Rudy Giuliani was a dumb man, but probably the dumbest thing he ever did was put the command center in the only complex that had previously been attacked by the terrorists,” said Wayne Barrett, co-author of the book Grand Illusion, about Giuliani. “So the visual that’s propelling him toward the presidency is, in fact, a commentary on his own weaknesses.”

Regardless of performance, before and during 9-11, the fact remains that Giuliani rose to the occasion in an unprecedented crisis—one that continues to keep him in the limelight.

Eric Denzenhall’s the man. In the game of crisis management, a new spectre of reality emerges, one that, we hope, will continue to emerge within the public discourse; that is, that those accused of various misdeeds and wrongdoings might be given the benefit of the doubt. It’s ironic when brought up within the context of the ongoing Larry Craig scandal. Why? Because, regardless of guilt–plead to or not–Craig has done little to help obviate the perception of his guilty actions.

Nevertheless, Denzenhall raises the point about alleged versus actual guilt, and elaborates on the curse of the Internet by pointing out how accusations appearing on blogs can easily end up in news stories, to appear on the cyber record presumably forever.

The lesson: not addressing allegations promptly and affirmatively, especially if false, will help ensure expanding damage to reputations.

It is not a lost irony that news outfits have to engage in public relations. And really, who doesn’t? If you relate to others, you do public relations. Today’s spectacle comes from the The Idahoe Statesmen. Regular readers of this blog know that, unlike what is read in reader comments in mainstream news sites, I tend to accept what pilloried politicians, government officials and the like say as having some element of truth (what benefit does lying have when the spotlight is on you?).

In other words, I view the inherent journalistic dogma, that officials–particularly those who are public figures or work in government– are de facto liars as being an unfair and ignorant journalistic bias. (more…)