Did you catch the whirlwind NPR scandal earlier this month? The furor over fundraiser Ron Schiller’s comments and actions, taped surreptitiously and posted to YouTube by James O’Keefe, offers several lessons for those of us engaged in causes and communications.
How fast is too fast?
In the age of the Internet, many of us feel pressured to move and react instantly. Reputations are made and broken in the fraction of time it takes to hit “send” or “submit.”
In the latest NPR example, there were many players who in retrospect seem like they might have been in too great of a rush. Should Schiller have researched this supposed-Muslim organization more carefully before meeting for lunch? What about other major news outlets that failed to question whether the posted video was a true and complete recording of events? Subsequent analysis proves that the footage was highly edited.
When is taking responsibility irresponsible?
Today’s commitment to accountability and transparency often butts up against this urgency to get out in front of the story. Truth, understanding and reputations are irreparably injured as a result.
The NPR story harkens back to Andrew Breitbart’s release of an edited tape that took down Shirley Sherrod. The former Georgia State Director of Rural Development for the U.S. Agriculture Department was forced to resign after comments she made were taken – edited – out of context to make her look like a racist. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack later took sole responsibility for moving too hastily. But the damage was done.
Cameras – and editors – are everywhere.
Remember as you represent your organization, company, cause or self, cell phone cameras and desktop editing software make manufacturing the news incredibly easy. Even though fabrications can be found out, the world moves quickly and seldom pauses to correct itself.
As ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis said in a statement released just over a year ago, “Vindication doesn’t pay the bills.”
By Kirsty Burkhart, Director of Public Policy