For the first time in my 27 years in public relations and media relations, I watched right here as a guest walked off a national prime-time, LIVE broadcast based on the recommendation of her “handlers” – those PR peeps who sit on the sidelines and direct traffic for their spokesperson while nodding heads or coaching silently. (I know, I’ve been one of those frequently.)
Christine O’Donnell, you may recall, is a Tea Party candidate who tried to run for U.S. senate in Delaware, and her book, “Trouble Maker,” details many of the issues she either believes or doesn’t believe in.
When Piers Morgan queried her about gay marriage and masturbation, she began to unravel. You can watch the interview with link above and form your own conclusions. It’s a good lesson for everyone including public relations/media relations as well as those figureheads who deem themselves prepared for prime time television.
There are so many other links you can go find, and many are attempts by Christine to massage her weakened brand and accuse “the producer” (she calls Piers the producer albeit he’s the host) of sexual harassment during the CNN interview.
The point is, PR, that if your spokesperson, client, company executive is NOT ready for live, national, primetime and potentially raucous interview tactics (do you remember Sarah Palin and Katie Couric?), then by all means KEEP THEM OFF TV!
Here are some media relations thoughts for everyone’s digestion:
** In media relations, it’s your job to comb previous interviews with that particular host to understand the style and potential for the segment to go downhill fast. Always expect negativity!
** Negativity sells, and there’s absolutely no way a former politician (especially in the Tea Party movement) can be safe. I say “especially in the Tea Party movement” because their policies and beliefs are strong, and when you get the “liberal” media going 1:1 with a candidate, there’s going to be bashing and addressing the issues.
** At the first sign of discomfort by an interviewee, the host is going in for the kill. Obviously, Christine was not prepared for a negative interview and did not expect to be thrown off course – book promotion, not running for office, I don’t want to speak about this issue today, “you’re being rude.”
** I fault Christine O’Donnell’s media relations people for this debacle. Either they didn’t prepare well enough or thoroughly enough to identify all the possible land mines any host would attempt to uncover, or they were not seasoned enough to manage this situation. With issues as contentious as gay marriage, abortion (I don’t know if she addressed that topic in her book), masturbation, and the like in a book she wrote and is promoting, it’s open season!
** Preparation for an interview of international importance like this should be oriented to diving into all the Q&A with possible discomfort zones. Role playing and watching tapes of previous interviews would be part of the prep; in addition, dog earing book pages with highlighted text should have also been part of the prep.
** Piers Morgan is an investigative journalist; it’s his business to uncover scuttle butt on everyone who sits across from him. He wants ratings, and boy was he enjoying himself – trying not to laugh at Christine’s obvious discomfort.
** Finally, when has a PR person EVER stepped in front of the camera on national live TV? Are you kidding me? Terminate.
What thoughts can you offer based on your own experience, your experience being interviewed, and the prep that needs to happen in this contentious media age?
(Image: CNN)
HO-Lee-MOE-Lee! Fire that PR staff and fire her. What an irresponsible use of time. If she was in fact promoting her book, why not let folks ask you about the book. She turned down the Republican Women’s Club meeting, indeed. I’ve had one situation where I relied on my client’s “abilities” and “experience” on camera and denial of my offers to prep said client result in a going down in flames moment. It was nothing like this ,but enough to make me demand prep time with any client, regardless of experience level. In my case, I as off camera, on the set, watching my client go down in flames, but the only thing I did (as I’m sure you would) was smile and give encouragement to get through it and then prep even more than we already did for the next spot. I would never pull them off or stand in front of the camera. Bad form. Blech!
I’m just laughing. How many of us in this business have had to endure a bad situation like this? And you know what? It creates bad image for PR every stinkin’ time! We get blamed! I’m still shocked and amazed by how this ended; very bad form.
The funniest part was when someone (her handler?) blocked the camera, so you couldn’t see her face. I thought Piers was grace personified, he even ended by saying, “It’s a good book.” I may not have done that! It looks she was being led by someone in the studio, so outside of the fact that she didn’t handle herself well, whoever that was, and I’m assuming, though I don’t know, obviously, it was her handler/publicist, that was really bad advice.
I was just cracking up watching him…he wanted to laugh so badly, and then he said, “why are you being so weird about this?” And, in fact, she was! She did this to herself. Apparently, he asked her about “masturbation” prior, and she came out with a sexual harassment comment on the media the next day. Really, dude? Unreal, Shonali. More PR imagery gone awry.
But you know what I liked best? The fact that Piers really just kept going, not in an offensive way, but with genuine incredulity that she wouldn’t answer. If someone tuned in they might have thought they were watching Saturday Night Live.
I have not ever had to prep someone for a live interview such as this. What good background information, and the Christine O’Donnell incident is one worth reviewing. Thanks Jayme. If I ever have to be on TV I am hiring you.
XOXO, Jenn, Jenn.
For me, the craziest part is that she seemed to think that he should only ask her about what she wanted to talk about. I agree with you. Apparently her PR people didn’t giver her even a basic education and set her expectations. Then they made her look terrible by having her walk out.
Dead on. And, what I just wrote to Marianne…the entire escapade is a true debacle — the timing, her previous failed run for Senate, a book with an odd title, and her views she didn’t want to address. Not to mention the bad PR counsel. I am agog over the whole thing. Gives my peers yet another black mark.
Neicole, I was LMAO when she asked with doe-eyed innocence, aren’t you supposed to ask about what the guest wants to talk about? Loved Morgan’s response. Classic.
I was watching this interview that day, not knowing O’Donnell was going the walk off the set. When she started being evasive and repeatedly saying, “It’s in the book,” I started to wonder why she wasn’t prepared for the interview. If she wanted to sell more books, she should have embraced those tough questions to spur interest. It was obvious that she wasn’t familiar with Piers Morgan’s style; rather, she seemed to think he was just a charming bloke who wanted to chat with her about “light” topics. Her lack of preparation was her responsibility. After all, she hired her PR staff and directed their strategy (I presume). Instructing O’Donnell to walk off was bad advice, and she chose to follow it.
This is a great lesson that reminds us all how important it is to prepare for any type of interview, meeting, or presentation.
Hey, Marianne. Actually, it’s the other way around…PR people in this situation direct the client/spokesperson/executive. We do all the prep, training, role playing and more prep. In fact, whenever there’s a Wall Street Journal interview for a client of mine, I immediately begin to dig into the style of the reporter, the negative issues and the like to be fully aware of which hard questions the host/reporter will ask.
Stupid that no one in her camp (including her) was prepared. My goodness, she had a contentious campaign in Delaware, why wouldn’t she expect more of the same? And, what business does she have touting a book called Trouble Maker??? during the political season? All around, it’s bad prep.
I am not a PR person, but whenever I see something like this I always wonder where the person’s well paid PR staff is!!!
When Sarah Palin gave that insane Katie Couric interview it was like OMG, why are they letting her talk on national television?? And, Christine O’Donnell, she needs to be tucked in a box for a long time!
If I was in their shoes, I would be demanding refunds!
It’s so true, Jennifer. These people who are totally unprepared to go in front of seasoned journalists whose jobs it is to uncover dirt and make mud suffer from these nightmares in the long run. Her image is shot with media and I assume with any constituents although she’s not running for office — or is she? I’m confused.
I don’t believe she is currently running for anything. Although Couric interview aside, it seems bad PR has made Sarah Palin millions, although making her look like a moron!
Her walking off the set could be viewed as really petty or a bold move by someone who “isn’t gonna take any crap form the ‘lamestream media'” (depending on ones political persuasion). From a PR standpoint – bad, bad form. Some public figures (whether through naivete, arrogance or both)have the attitude that they can waltz into an interview and talk about whatever they want to talk about. Ms. O’Donnell seemed to have this attitude. If her PR people enabled that attitude or didn’t prep her for the inevitable questions that were going to be asked, then shame on them. Sometimes, you gotta tell the Emperor he’s wearing no clothes. If they advised her properly and she chose to ignore it, then shame on her. Either way, they never should have advised her to walk off, even if they were trying to protect her. Sometimes, the best learning tool is getting roughed up a bit. It’s uncomfortable, but you’ve learned a lesson..
Couldn’t have said it better myself, David. It felt like, though, that she elected to sit there and push back and then she looked over at the handlers who told her to cut it. You see her finger waving in a circle of some sort, and then she repeated the wording they were feeding her at the end prior to her walk off.
My surmise is she was being managed and taking counsel from some PR peeps…it’s a fascinating study for the text books, absolute! Man, to be in PR school these days; my head spins day in and day out. Thanks for coming!
It was not a stunt, and, and she decides what to do and then blames her media advisor later. She did the same thing at a couple of the local Delaware stations back when she was running, one was filmed, and you can see her snapping her fingers and trying to motion her minion to interrupt the interview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PiqXQeOl_w you can google other clips. She did the same thing with a Utah station shortly after Piers as well. If you ever get the chance to hear her in person, it’s frightening
Thanks for always indulging my posts with more intelligent research. Had I dug deeper…I think I need to write more about this “strategy.” Only worried it will open cans if I do…Thanks, Ray! Great to see you.
Her “team” actually threatened to sue the station for making that video available.
G’Day Jayme,
In the wonderful “Land Down Unda,” we don’t take our politics too seriously. We take our politicians even less seriously. When I was about 15–a long time ago–I received a piece of advice from my father; “Don’t worry son,” he said, “they’re only politicians.”
It occurs to me that Ms O’Donnell may have achieved just the effect she wanted. She probably impressed her Tea Party supporters by walking out.
Anyway, thanks for your tips about preparing for PR interviews. If I ever become more famous than infamous, they’ll be valuable.
Make sure you have fun.
Regards
Leon
Dear Leon, So great to see you here today and with your burning ears, too. I mentioned you in a comment over at my GP today by @KenMueller62:disqus
at Inkling Media; alas, no way to Twitter your ears to bring you in on the convo “Bloggers on Pedestals.”
Meanwhile, my sage counsel and your pop’s, too, is — Don’t Run For Office; you’ll have a Wiener-Gate on your hands.
I think that this was an intentional move and part of their strategy. They are following the Sarah Palin model of blame the media and hoping that it works for them.
I had no idea until I read Ray “SteelToad” response here that this was an alleged strategy. I’m kind of shocked/not shocked that people would think this would work in their favor? At some point, it’s going to bite them in their arses. Unreal.
If you believe that she is out of touch with the majority than this strategy fails miserably. OTOH, if you think that most people believe that the MSM is biased and that there is an agenda that they serve it could make sense.
It is the problem of being so involved with your base you lose touch with reality.
Pure logic, The Jack. Just got email from mass send re creating the 28th Amendment to limit all the perqs Congress gets — salary increases, pension, no contribution to social security, their own health care system/benefits, no term limits, etc. I find that a wonderful idea.
Jayme, I don’t disagree. Part of the reason they don’t work as hard for us as they should is because they don’t “feel” our pain. Pensions, great healthcare and more make it easy to forget what the rest of us do to make ends meet.
Indeed…best of luck as you move forth to a new chapter, The Jack! XO
Pure logic, The Jack. Just got email from mass send re creating the 28th Amendment to limit all the perqs Congress gets — salary increases, pension, no contribution to social security, their own health care system/benefits, no term limits, etc. I find that a wonderful idea.
Thought I was watching SNL.
Bizarre, right?
I agree with you, but sometimes you do everything you can and they still don’t listen. Case in point: Twelve years ago my client was The Catfish Institute. I brought that client into FH on my own (I was friends with their president at the time) and I got to eat what I killed. They had a gigantic budget and it was great fun working on the business (remind me to tell you the Bobby Flay – clarified butter story sometime). We were working really hard to get farm-raised catfish on white tablecloth menus. But we had a problem. The Japanese were dumping catfish into America and calling it U.S. Farm-Raised. We were doing a ton of work lobbying Congress to get it to stop. You see, the Japanese catfish were bottom feeders and that meant what they ate, you ate. Disgusting. The coup of my career, at that point, was scoring 60 Minutes. They were coming to Mississippi to visit the farmers, to see the really cool visuals of the fish feeding at the top of the ponds, and to talk about how catfish were changing American menus. We weren’t ready to talk about the anti-dumping issue so we trained the Chairman for three days on what to say, how to say it, and how not to answer any anti-dumping questions. Three days. We went through every, single scenario. And he was ready. 60 Minutes flew down and we spent two days with them. They got all of the footage they needed, did several interviews, and even ate catfish for nearly every meal. They were packing up to leave and the Chairman was walking the reporter and camerman to the elevator. As the reporter got on the elevator, the Chairman said, “Boy am I glad you didn’t ask about the Japanese.” Guess what the story was about? And there was nothing we could do about it.
Oh, man, Gini. I feel your pain in spades. Each of us has stories like this, but none as agonizing as yours. What a jamoke for ruining everything; and the Q of the day is — did he feel any guilt or acknowledge he screwed up? Oy.
Holy cow! That is THE CRAZIEST thing I’ve ever seen. I’m just speechless. I’ve prepped people for interviews and have, like you, been nodding on the sidelines. But, I can’t even fathom what would make a PR person want to stand in front of the camera?!? That’s just insane. As bad as an interview would get, doing that just makes it worse, not better. Sheesh! Where did she find these people?
Not sure if you saw a few of the comments, Laura, but I didn’t know this was a pattern for her. Apparently, she makes a habit of walking off interviews and probably has her minions trained to react when she snaps her fingers. It’s sad.
If she’d just answered briefly and confidently Piers would have moved on and none of this would have happened I suppose. At least we all know well what a handler’s back looks like now.
Love this thought, Emory! And, even more so, love that you’re here; thanks for taking me up on the invite! “Handler” has to be the most derogatory term for a PR pro (me); however, I freely use it above. I know we’ll never be all roses in this profession, especially when situations like this continue to crop up.