Jan 18 2009
Keep Your Media Friends Close, Enemies Far Away
My Fifteenth Rule of Media Relations is Use any available leverage. Steer powerful friends toward or away from journalists you like or hate.
Everyone has a friend or relative who only calls when he wants something. When things are doing well, you don’t hear from him. After he’s done something foolish, he begs you for help.
After a while, you know what he’ll request before he’s finished flattering you in hopes the faint praise will be endearing enough for you to agree to solve his latest problem.
Meanwhile, your trusted friend calls to say he’s in trouble. He tries to downplay the situation but it must be serious since he’s never asked for help in all the time you’ve known him. He helps you often.
You are only able to help one. Who do you choose? Probably the one whose trouble is rare and whose appreciation is likely to be deep.
Some reporter asked Barack Obama during a news conference if some of the people he’ll be appointing as ambassadors will be “political” appointments. Meaning large campaign contributors.
As opposed to “career civil service” appointments. Meaning those who’ve spent years learning the differences between Georgia and Tunisia. Obama punted on the question, saying he hadn’t gotten to those appointments but that some political appointments could be expected.
Of course, he’ll help his friends. Who wouldn’t? No one who deserves to have friends would fail to help them when possible.
In the same vein, there’s no sense granting additional interviews to reporters who made you look silly the first time. Sarah Palin didn’t follow the Fifteenth Rule when she did multiple sit-downs with Katie Couric, although she blames John McCain’s handlers for that fiasco.
Cultivate positive media relationship by giving exclusives to friendly reporters. Keep the mean-spirited ones at bay without offering more than the standard line.
