Media Relations:Great Job or Kamikazi Mission?

“He tells the best truth possible under the circumstances.”  This was legendary Washington reporter Cheryl Arvidson’s off-hand (and slightly back-handed) assessment of my performance as a press secretary, delivered to a beach-house full of fellow reporters. I took no offense. Indeed, it pretty accurately summed things up.

Handling media relations, whether for a politician, a corporation or an NGO is not for the faint of heart. Or the weak of stomach -- I always tell new-to-the-job media relations specialists to lay in a supply of Maalox. And go easy on the Scotch.

Media relations can be a great job, but it is not for everyone. All this comes to mind as our newly minted graduate takes up a position in media relations with agro-giant Cargill, North America’s largest privately held firm. On the one hand, my spouse and I want to congratulate him; on the other, we wonder if he shouldn’t have gone into something less fraught with danger, like bomb disposal or elevator surfing.

Knowing that no self-respecting son or daughter would ever take advice from a parent, I sought it on his behalf from others – namely Rob McLeod, recently retired after nearly 20 years as spokesperson for CIBC; Barbara Shecter, veteran business reporter with the National Post; and Tom Boyle, a long-time Ford Motor PR pro who now teaches business communications at Georgia State.

Here’s what they said:

Rob McLeod: Three things came immediately to mind:

Patience: Patience is a valuable quality in media relations, particularly when you are facing a challenging issue involving the organization or individual you represent. No matter how much the media – or your boss – may press for a rapid response to a breaking issue, it is far better to gather all the facts before issuing a comment. It is very difficult to restore credibility with the media or the public when you have to reverse an earlier response.

Serenity: Calmness in the eye of the storm is another key attribute. When organizations or individuals are under fire, emotions inside can run high. Establishing yourself as a source of reasoned, sound advice to management, able to deliver factual but effective public positioning, will enhance your reputation among colleagues, management and reporters.

Perspective: Having strong relationships with the media is very important and will help get your message out. But being friendly with reporters doesn’t mean they won’t be tough on your organization when they believe it is justified. Like you, they are professionals trying to do a job, which is to report the facts as they understand them. Recognizing that and maintaining good relationships with reporters through good times and bad is the key to longevity in media relations.

Barbara Shecter: Barb naturally approached things from a reporter’s perspective:

First, meet as soon as possible with reporters that cover your sector to gauge areas of real/potential interest plus, importantly, establish the rules of engagement in terms of the type of background conversations you can have to give reporters maximum context (without of course endangering confidentiality.)

Second, Try to give reporters as much notice as possible about potentially interesting upcoming news or events to allow them to not only plan their schedules, but also pitch the story idea to editors.

Third, Find out the best way to keep in touch to keep the reporter on top of developing/ongoing stories. In today’s world reporters are seldom at their desks – email and texting can often be preferable to a telephone call. But it varies by reporter – one size or solution  does not fit all.

Tom Boyle: Drawing on years of practice and academic study, he offers up the following:

“Your credibility is the biggest thing you bring to the party. When a news person tries to reach you with a  question on a possibly harmful topic, respond quickly. You likely won’t have the answer immediately, but the promptness of your getting back will create media chatter than you appear to have reporter’s interests in mind,” Boyle says.

Another tip: “When you come across information that doesn’t benefit your client but might help a beat reporter, call them to share the info. Telling them something useful to them not related to advancing your client’s interests will be appreciated – and remembered.”

Boyle also recommends thorough follow-up: “Call or e-mail the reporter after you have provided information but before the story appears to make sure he or she got all they needed. Whenever possible, also contact the reporter after the story appears to say well done.  And think about sending the reporter a hand-written note once in awhile. In this day of e-mail and texting, a hand-written note via the mail will stun and amaze!”

Would I add anything?

Two thoughts come to mind.

First, make sure the culture and values of the organization are aligned with your own. This doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything – I didn’t agree with every position taken by Bob Dole or Ed Brooke when I acted as their press secretary or every position taken by Ford, IBM, CAE.  CIBC or Canada Post during my tenure - - but if the mismatch is too great, there’s not enough Maalox in the world to make it worthwhile. And never be afraid to walk away. Your reputation is more important than any paycheck.

Second, think of yourself as the eyes and ears of the organization. Communications flows two ways – reporters can often serve as an early warning system in terms of potential issues and problems, as well as areas of opportunity. Transmitting this information back to your organization can help them avoid future issues...or exploit competitive opportunities.

Good luck, Joseph. Remember, there’s always bomb disposal  to fall back on...or an opening in Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s office.     

Must BoC Head Be Canadian?

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has announced the appointment of Stephen Poloz as the new Governor of the Bank of Canada, barely a month ahead of the departure of current Governor Mark Carney, who is set to become head of the Bank of England on June 3.

Mr. Poloz, currently the head of the Export Development Corporation and a Western University-trained economist, is Canadian. That is no surprise, because no other nationalities were invited to apply. In case you missed it back in January, it said just that on the web site of Odgers Berndtson, the executive search firm tasked with doing the recruiting, as well as in an advertisement placed the pages of The Economist magazine.

In light of the citizenship requirement, the placing of an ad in The Economist seemed especially strange. With more than 94% of that publication’s 1.5 million circulation occurring outside Canada, the objective may have been to find a long-lost Canadian banker in Timbuktu... or in a dentist office waiting room somewhere else on the planet.

But, in the 21^st Century, does such a citizenship restriction even make any sense? Or is it just another manifestation of good, old-fashioned Canadian parochialism?

Why not emulate the Brits and just go after the best man or woman for the job, without regard to nationality? After all, not once but twice in recent years the UK has broken precedence and selected non-citizens for important, high-profile roles. And both were Canadians.

The first was Newfoundland native Moya Greene, who in 2010 left her position as CEO of Canada Post to become the first non-Briton and woman to head up the Royal Mail. And of course the second involves Mr. Carney’s imminent investiture as Governor of the Bank of England.

Some will argue, given the state of the Royal Mail and the British economy, desperate times called for desperate measures.

But, whatever the circumstances, why wouldn’t any nation wish to seek out and hire the best possible person for the job? If the Brits can get over themselves, why can’t we?

And while hiring, say, an American as Governor of the Bank of Canada might be a (Peace) bridge too far, what about a Swiss, a German or a Singaporean?   Or even an Australian, for that matter?

A few decades ago there was a popular expression meant to say that someone was stating the obvious – “Is the Pope Italian?” The expression worked pretty well for several centuries...  until the Pope became, in turn, Polish, German and Argentine. 

Is the Governor of the Bank of Canada Canadian? Must he or she be?

While it is too late to re-write the job specs for Governor of Canada this time around, the nationality restriction should be dropped going forward. This could well still produce a Canadian winner – but with the added benefit that he or she – in this case Mr. Poloz - would be deemed the best candidate for the job in the world, not just Canada.

Published in the Huffington Post May 2, 2013; slightly revised May 3 to reflect Poloz appointment.)

Is a Pet's Life Price-Sensitive?

How much would you pay to keep your dog or cat alive?

This past week I paid $3,673.73 in vet bills accrued by our four year-old yellow Lab, Maggie*, who was stricken with a mysterious, Ebola-like malady that caused her to bleed from virtually every orifice and threatened to destroy her kidneys, liver and pancreas.  The bills included overnight boarding in an intensive care unit at an Ottawa emergency veterinarian hospital, antibiotics, fluids for dehydration, blood tests, x-rays and various and sundry other charges. 

There was never any thought of NOT paying. Maggie was selected for me by my wife and son as a surprise birthday present (and a needed motivation for more frequent walks).  As might be expected, Maggie quickly won all of our hearts, even that of our allergy-prone daughter. Labradors, with their somewhat goofy grins and generally genial demeanor, are particularly adept at becoming an indispensible family member.  We were grateful to the team that helped pull Maggie through.

Still, the $3,673.73 bill stuck in my mind. Perhaps it is because, as a Canadian and a resident of Ontario, I never see human medical bills. We had two children at Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital and haven’t a clue what it cost, other than the $8 charge for a telephone line. I had major surgery a few years ago at Toronto General and it was the same story (although, out of curiosity, I researched the cost of the same laparoscopic procedure in the States – and found it carried a $30,000 to $40,000 price-tag).  

Coincidentally, a few days after receiving my vet bill I had my annual check-up with my physician. In the course of the normal patient-doctor chit-chat, we got around to the subject of pets and I told her of Maggie’s travails – and the cost of treatment.  This instantly animated my doctor, who went on to tell her own tale of her family’s beloved but somewhat older dog, who seemed listless and had a mysterious lump on its neck.

“The veterinarian did a biopsy – and it was inconclusive, “she related. “Then he said he wanted to start chemo as a precaution – a precaution that would cost upwards of $10,000. We love our dog, but decided to spare her the side effects and let nature take its course.”

When people acquire a dog or cat, they often fail to take into account the true cost of ownership. According to the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, pet owners can expect in the first year alone to shell out $2,980 for a dog and $1,950 for a cat, much of it associated with spaying or neutering, vaccinations, etc.  According to the British Columbia SPCA, the average on-going cost after the first year, including food, is $1,071 for a dog and $835 for a cat – with vet costs the greatest variable.

There is of course pet health insurance – somewhere between 20% and 30% of Canadian pet owners opt to go that route. But it can be expensive. And the number of coverage exemptions and exclusions can render some policies virtually useless. 

So how much WOULD you pay to keep your dog or cat alive? 

While there is scant data available in Canada, the Associated Press conducted just such a survey in the U.S. several years ago. Half of the respondents said they would pay a $1,000 vet bill to keep their dog alive. One-third said they would pay $2,000. Only 22%, however, said they would be willing to pay $5,000. (In all instances, the percentages were lower for cats.)  Perhaps surprisingly, there was virtually no difference in response between those making less than $50,000 a year and those making more.

I wonder if Canadians would respond in a similar fashion.  

*Maggie is not our dog’s real name. She requested I use a pseudonym to protect her privacy.

Huffington Post  April 10, 2013

Frozen Four Tops Final Four

Forget March Madness. Or the run for the Stanley Cup playoffs. And you can keep your Super Bowl, Grey Cup or World Series.

For my money, the most exciting sporting event on the planet is the NCAA’s “Frozen Four”, which combines all of the speed and action of hockey with the circus-like insanity that is U.S. college sports. Plus it has loads of Canadian content – many of the top players come from the Great White North.

I first got hooked on college hockey as a student at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. These were the days of the late “Badger Bob” Johnson, one of the greatest collegiate coaches in the history of the game. In that era Wisconsin’s football team was awful and the basketball team couldn’t dribble its way out of a paper bag. Hockey, on the other hand, was the hot ticket and every game was a sell-out.

Sell-outs, in a 15,000-seat arena, have pretty much been the case ever since.

What made the games so appealing, putting aside the high quality of the play, was the college atmosphere. You had mascot Bucky Badger – on skates! You had cheerleaders – on skates! And you had the UW Band (non-marching version) – on, well, SOMETHING, judging from their tune selection and general demeanor.  

And then there was the student section. Long before I got there, some bright psychology major came up with something called the “sieve” cheer. This was only employed when the visiting goalie gave up a goal. The entire section took out actual sieves…and pointed them at the poor netkeeper…while rhythmically chanting, “sieve, sieve, sieve”.  And woe to a high-flying (and highly-ranked) team, usually North Dakota, Minnesota or Denver, that came into Madison with less than their A Game. The chant “over-rated” would rain down on them like a Vancouver winter’s day.

Using a mix of home-grown Wisconsin and Minnesota talent, liberally infused with Canadian content from north of the border, Wisconsin has typically been at or near the top of the Western Collegiate Athletic Association and in the hunt for an NCAA berth on a regular basis.

And once a college hockey fan, always a college hockey fan. I have been to dozens of NHL games, mostly in Toronto, Boston and Ottawa, and not one has matched the electric excitement of a NCAA Frozen Four match-up. The best game I ever saw was at Boston Garden in 1973, Wisconsin vs. Cornell. Cornell was leading 5 –2 in the third period. Wisconsin managed to tie the game 5-all with seconds remaining in regulation time. Then, incredibility, in OT the Wisconsin goalie, Jim Makey of Dunville, Ontario, stopped TWO Cornell breakaways… before the Badgers put the game away, 6 – 5.

Exciting? I was in the first row of the second balcony at the old Garden, 30 meters above the ice, with my youngest brother, Tom -- and nearly lost him over the rail celebrating. Not something you’d want to explain to your parents.

But your team doesn’t have to win to enjoy these festivities. Indeed, you don’t even need a team.

Last weekend I traveled from Ottawa to Manchester, New Hampshire, for the NCAA Regional Playoffs. I met my brother there (who for some reason now prefers floor-level seats). We saw the Badgers get their tails kicked, 6 – 1, by a better Massachusetts – Lowell squad. And we stayed on for the Regional Final between Lowell River Hawks and the University of New Hampshire Wildcats. It was a terrific, spirited game (one that sent the River Hawks through to their first-ever Frozen Four.)

I know all eyes will be on the upcoming Final Four NCAA Basketball Tournament in Atlanta April 6 & 8. But my eyes will be on the NCAA Frozen Four in Pittsburgh the following weekend. It’s the greatest tournament nobody’s ever heard of.

Attack Ads Bound to Boomerang

Maybe Stephen Harper has been watching too many episodes of the HBO mini-series “Rome”, which ends with Octavian ordering the death of young Caesarion, the son of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra.

Or maybe he just likes attack ads.

Whatever the reason, Harper and the Conservative Party are widely expected to unleash a hail of attack ads soon after Justin Trudeau is anointed Leader of the Liberal Party on April 14.

That Trudeau will win is a foregone conclusion. The attack ads should not be.

Sure, this type of “positioning” of opponents has worked well in the past for the Conservatives. Former Liberal Leaders Stephane Dion and Michael Ignatieff never really recovered from their early portrayals; Dion as weak and ineffectual; Ignatieff as an aloof academic who was “just visiting”, a reference to his 30 years outside Canada.

But Justin Trudeau is not Stephane Dion or Michael Ignatieff. Unlike Dion, who was essentially unknown before being named Leader, or Ignatieff, who was indeed away, Justin has always been with us.

 From the time of his birth, Christmas Day 1971, he has been a part of our collective consciousness, growing up in front of us all. Whether it was comforting his mother at the time of his younger brother Michel’s death; delivering a moving eulogy at his father’s funeral in 2000; his joyful 2005 marriage; or his more recent  improbable (but successful) foray into boxing, we have watched him grow up before our eyes and shared collectively in his triumphs and tragedies. He is in that sense family – and you don’t score political points by publically beating up family members.

In this age of anti-bullying messages, hitting the airways with millions of dollars of attack ads would end up instead positioning Stephen Harper, unflatteringly, as Bully-In-Chief. It also would legitimize Trudeau as the opposition, no matter that his party lags the NDP by scores of seats in the House of Commons.

The truth is, the Conservatives may be making more of Justin Trudeau than is warranted.

I had occasion to spend half a day with the young Member of Parliament for Papineau several years ago in Toronto, part of a small working group looking at issues related to climate and sustainability. Prince Charles was present as well – in a sense, we had two princes in the same room.  My impressions of Justin were largely positive. He was articulate, passionate without being overbearing, and expressed a clear belief in the importance of education and youth.  He displayed depth of knowledge regarding the environment, reflecting studies he had previously undertaken at McGill.

He was, to continue the family analogy, the nephew who shows great promise. But he definitely did not appear to be a Prime Minister in waiting. My impression was that he lacked his father Pierre Elliotts’ toughness, not fully possessing the sly cunning needed to gain- and retain- power. While he has clearly matured since then, I still do not yet see that necessary grit. He seems more a Paul Martin than a Jean Chretien.

It is that very fact – his lack of a steely edge – that will cause attack ads to fail to do what they are designed to do. Instead, they will boomerang, fostering sympathy.

There may yet be a Trudeau ascendancy. But Harper and the Conservatives would do well to keep their powder dry and their attack ads in the vaults. Right next to the final episode of “Rome”.

Published in the Huffington Post March 28, 2013