“Never pick a fight with someone who buys his data by the gigabyte.”
~ Modern twist on an old caveat
It’s as true today as it was when Mark Twain, Will Rogers, and others made similar observations about those who buy ink by the barrel.
The media always gets the last word.
And in today’s world, “media” can be as big as a sprawling news outlet, or as small as one person with an internet account and too much time on his hands.
Consider a recent expose in the New York Times about the NFL allegedly soliciting legal advice from the tobacco industry about how to successfully postpone coming to grips with major medical complications of their businesses. For the NFL, it’s concussions. For Big Tobacco, it’s cancer.
Only hours after the story was published, the NFL — feeling its arguments had been ignored — posted its own response online taking issue with the Times, point by point. Not to be outdone, the Times published the NFL’s letter, dissecting it point by point.
Or letters to the editor. The media may publish a whittled-down letter from you, then will tack on its own longer defense of the story and its conclusions.
Online disputes are even worse.
Bloggers, whether they fancy themselves as “citizen journalists” or just like to argue, are loathe to admit mistakes. Civility can quickly go out the window. Rational discussion devolves into a single-minded effort to win.
In the end, it doesn’t really matter who gets the last word. What does matter is whether you’re heard — and whether what you say is compelling. If you’ve made your case well, the other side’s final remarks will fall flat — or, even better, will look petty and argumentative.
For a deeper glimpse into our world, see our book on Amazon, A Lawyer’s Guide to Crisis PR: Protecting Your Clients In & From the Media.
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You can reach Roger Gillott and Eden Gillott directly at 310-396-8696.
Gillott Communications is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm that specializes in high-stakes Crisis & Reputation Management with more than 50 years of expertise in strategic communications, corporate public relations, and working with the media.
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