Politics 2000

My Fourth Rule of Media Relations is It’s always better to admit something than to let a reporter learn about it. It’s nearly always better to admit something and apologize, even if a reporter will never learn about it. Americans are forgiving.

Journalists live to break stories. That’s why reporters are stationed along the Gaza-Israeli border, near Britney Spears’ house, on Capitol Hill and at any nightclub that Adam Jones might visit.

People enter the media because they want to tell stories. About situations. About people. About society. Their bosses want to generate profits. Sometimes the two agendas conflict.

When political scandals emerge, the two points of view converge. Reporters see Pulitzers and Emmys. Management sees ratings and cash.

Americans, in particular, like to find heroes and then destroy them. We want role models to emulate but they can’t be too perfect. They can’t be perceived to think they’re better than are we. After all, we gave them their status and we can take it from them.

You remember the Watergate saga. The Pentagon Papers. Deep Throat. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Richard Nixon. A blight on America in 1974.

Two generations of reporters have been trying to be the next Woodward or Bernstein. Don’t let it happen to you. If you need to use the Fourth Rule, then the First Rule failed. You’ve done something you shouldn’t have done. Reporters have either broken, will break shortly or probably will break the story.

At this point, the best thing to do is offer a heartfelt mea culpa. Throw yourself at the public’s mercy. If you seem the least bit contrite, it’ll work within a short time. Ask Duane “Dog” Chapman and Don Imus.

Asking for mercy forces your opponents to seem mean-spirited if they continue to go after you. If you are defiant, your rivals will be emboldened to crush you. I think one has to kick someone when he’s down politically. When else will you kick him?

That said, most people disagree with me. Once you’ve proverbially cried uncle, the public generally thinks you should be let go. Use that feeling to your advantage. Stay above board until the next news event knocks you from public consciousness. Then you can resume doing what you were doing.

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