The video that accompanies this story has been making the rounds and is real. It was not intended to be viral and it’s not a training film. The event actually did occur a few weeks back as surrealistic as it is!
Our job as Public Information Officers is to be both the go to guy and the bridge builder; we are supposed to protect our Departments from any fallout and make sure that the right message gets out. At the same time, we are supposed to help the media, and the public get information and get access to our Chiefs if needed. But the main thing is that PIO’s are conduits of information.
Here’s a great example of a PR person that is a bull and has no idea how to blend “go to guy” and “bridge builder.” This so called pr person, Mark Slavin, goes on the offensive to try to squash a story about San Francisco’s Laguna Honda Hospital’s alleged misuse of its philanthropic gift fund, a situation the public obviously has a right to know about.
Watch the clip and watch the PR person just be a jerk. The ABC7 reporter, Dan Noyes, is right – the PR person is being “crazy,” and well, one or two steps away from assault. Actually, he grabs the camera woman – so it can be classified as assault. And then tries to deflect blame and say that the media is at fault.
That’s what the job of the media is – to tell the stories that we, as PIO’s, sometimes don’t want told. But that’s our job as PR people – to have answers and deal with uncomfortable situations, or just have non-answers that work well enough that people forget what they are asking. Apparently some of us do that better than others, changing the conversation and smiling the whole time. The fact is that a good PR person wouldn’t have continued to touch the reporter, in a way that really was disruptive and antagonistic, or for that matter touch this guy at all! The hospital PR person was a bit miffed that Dan Noyes is doing his job and dug up a good story. Petty revenge never works well. And what about his casual dress at a press conference? He looks like he’s checking the AC and getting more chairs. I personally feel the casual look added to the immediate antagonism between himself and the reporter.
The lesson from this debacle is that the 60 Minutes/Dateline tactic works for reporters. The gotcha moment is something that a good PR person is prepared for, and has answers – or non-answers – ready at the hip. And don’t be antagonistic with someone you don’t know unless you have the charm to get away with it because when you get into a boxing match with the media, the media will usually win, especially if it’s right.
Also on The Fire PIO…
- A PIO Social Media Christmas – December 22, 2010
- How do I Address a Judge? – November 18, 2010
- Even the Walls have Ears – November 24, 2010
What a touching video Jeff. Good find.
Statter
Another play on words by the master!
This is unbelievable. Obviously this guy has never had any training in dealing with people in general. This would be laughable if it was not real.
The supposed PR guy comes across as anything but professional, and seems to only exacerbate a situation that was already unpleasant. I would imagine that this behavior didn’t help the relationship between the hospital and the TV station.
One has to wonder where Mr. Slavin is now, as a result of this episode being caught on camera.