| As a child growing up in
Chicago, my friends and I would often yell at each other,
"Cheaters never prosper!" if we thought someone was playing
unfairly on our Catholic school playground. In the business
world over the years, I've learned that there's a lot
of truth in that statement. Cheaters don't always succeed
in business, and while we're on the subject, liars are
always discovered.
We've seen these lessons played out a lot lately. The
newspapers have been flooded with commentary about a former
New York Times reporter and the poor conduct he displayed
by purposely filing inaccurate stories. While his actions
have cast a very negative light on the journalism community
as a whole, causing many business owners to wonder if
they've been treated fairly by the media in the past,
it's important to note that unscrupulous reporters represent
just a few "bad apples" in a very large barrel. Most journalists
possess great integrity. It's their job to search for
the truth so if you're a small-business owner ready to
tell your company story, honesty is still the best policy
- especially when it comes to dealing with the press.
So why do people lie to the press in the first place?
You'd think that the most obvious answer would be because
they have something to hide. In actuality many times lies
are told inadvertently. Here are common examples and the
ways in which to avoid these mistakes before it destroys
your reputation:
-
Not knowing what to say when a reporter phones.
Two examples come to mind. First it's always tough
being a business owner because sometimes crises arise.
When they do surface, it's difficult to know what
to say to anyone, let alone a reporter. Second, it
can be equally difficult to conduct interviews with
the press if you're either a new business owner or
you've only had limited exposure to media interviews.
In either case, it's simply unnecessary to lie, because
if you know yourself and your business inside out,
then you will have plenty to say. When in doubt about
a question, ask the reporter to clarify then give
the straightest answer possible, and only elaborate
if you feel comfortable doing so.
-
Perceiving your company story to be boring.
Never embellish your company story. Remember that
in addition to the basic facts about your company,
it's the little
tidbits that seem unimportant that
can actually peak a reporter's interest.
-
Not knowing how to respond to the reporter's questions.
There's no shame in not knowing an answer. The reporter
will respect your honesty, and by doing so, your story
placement can still be secured - as long as you make
it a top priority to find the answers to the questions
and deliver them to the reporter immediately.
- Lack of preparation before the interview. Do
a little research on the reporter prior to the interview
by reading past articles. Then try to anticipate the
types of questions that reporter might ask, and prepare
truthful answers for them. It's fine to ask the reporter
what the story topic will be before doing the interview.
That information will also give you some additional
clues about the story's tone.
If you don't believe me, then take advice from veteran
CBS
News anchor, Dan
Rather. He says when in doubt as to how you should
answer a reporter's questions, there are four acceptable
answers:
1. I know that answer, and I will give it to
you
2. I don't know the answer, but I will try to
find it and give it to you
3. I know the answer, but I'm not going to tell
you
4. I know the answer, but I'll have to kill
you if I tell you.
The last one, of course, is a joke, but you get the idea.
The bottom line is this. Follow playground rules and never
lie to the media - period. There is no profit in doing
so, and you'll only end up hurting yourself and your company's
credibility. Always tell the truth, even if the truth
turns out not to be all that interesting.
Do
you have a media relations question? Ask
Carolyn! Your questions could be featured in an up-coming
article. If
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