One of the more troubling trends of the past few months is the growing lack of consensus about the basic information that should be – that used to be – the underpinning of rational dialogue. We’ve written about the rise of so-called “alternative facts,” but this edition of Recent Reads is heavy on the controversial topic of “fake news.”
Perhaps relatedly, we’re also looking at new ways information can be consumed – and at how artificial intelligence might not take over the world after all. But it sure seems poised to take a lot of jobs.
With that, here’s the latest Recent Reads.
The new civic course in U.S. schools: How to spot fake news – For those of us PR pros/news junkies, it can be very frustrating to have conversations with our children about current events. If your kids are like mine, they believe that Facebook or Twitter is the source of what they read, so they trust it. Schools are seeing this troubling trend and are proposing curriculum to support what kids should do to identify and ignore fake news. While fake news has always existed, it is an interesting educational outcome from the 2016 presidential election. – Larry Larsen
Colorado Newspaper Vows Defamation Suit After Senator’s ‘Fake News’ Tweet – I’ve been wondering when something like this would happen. A Colorado newspaper publisher is threatening to sue a state senator for defamation after he tweeted that the publication is “fake news.” Of course, threats of lawsuits don’t always end up with court filings – and proving actual damages could be difficult. But considering that public officials (or, really, any member of society) can now compete with traditional news outlets as far as reach on social media – and if we’re all journalists now – why shouldn’t a news organization explore its legal options? Especially when reputation – possibly the most valuable thing traditional media outlets still have – is at stake? – Paul Wilson
Donald Trump delivers a series of raw and personal attacks on the media in a news conference for the ages – It was already a volatile week for the White House – Michael Flynn’s resignation, the Labor Secretary nominee stepping aside and rumored staff infighting – but President Trump incredibly and predictably came out swinging during a combative press conference Thursday. From the article, “Trump understands something very important: For his supporters, the media represents everything they dislike about American society.” Whether cracks are forming in the administration or not, Thursday was a clear example of President Trump’s strategy to avert the public’s eyes when things aren’t going his way. Instead of talking about Russia or Flynn, we’re now focused on the press conference. Is this his perceived authenticity in action as we discussed late last week? Perhaps, but maybe the better question is at what cost? – Christian Erard
Flipboard revamps its approach personalized news with new “Smart Magazines” – I love the concept of a Smart Magazine from Flipboard. I can’t consume enough material – books, magazines and blogs – and wish I was one of those people who only needed three hours of sleep so I could read more. The choices can be overwhelming, but one needs to commit to actively reading. I hope Flipboard does well with this and am now seeking a B2B version. Smarter, mobile content to replace the laundry lists of blogs, articles and white papers on most professional services websites may have been a pipe dream a few years ago. Maybe Flipboard can make it a reality. – Pam Munoz
Can Virtual Reality Teach Empathy? – This headline caught my attention and made me ask how a technology tool can create empathetic feelings. The article describes how a teacher is immersing VR into his curriculum, so students can literally see lessons “from wandering the streets of ancient Rome to touring the International Space Station.” Educators are cautious about implementing VR, like any technology, but this article describes one of its clear strengths – the ability to tap emotions. As VR enters the classroom more regularly, it makes me wonder how/if businesses will implement it into their strategies. – Sarah Rocca
How tech ate the media and our minds – Technology has fundamentally changed the way the average individual receives information. This article underscores just how much the environment has changed – and the media landscape along with it – during the past decade. In the B2B world, there is still somewhat of a disconnect about how engaged companies should be and what their return on investment actually is. Do corporations and senior executives truly make purchasing decisions at least partly based on what they read in their LinkedIn or Twitter feed? We think the answer is in the eye of the beholder and we advise our clients not to risk it; you don’t want to be conspicuous by your absence. – Larry Larsen
The AI Threat Isn’t Skynet. It’s the End of the Middle Class – Turns out all (or, at least, most) of the fiction about artificial intelligence taking over the world was only half-right. The real concern among scientists these days isn’t a Terminator scenario – it’s economic catastrophe, with a proliferation of automation and technology supplanting middle-class jobs. This is definitely worth watching in the next few years, especially considering how much economic hardship in traditional blue-collar areas played a role in November’s presidential election. – Jackson Pillow
Blog
Has Donald Trump ushered in an era of hyper-authenticity in public communications? And if so, should business communicators emulate his off-the-cuff style?
We think the answer to both questions is no.
There’s no question that Trump’s perceived authenticity and penchant for spontaneity – which have trickled down to the rest of his administration – are huge parts of what got him to the White House. During the presidential campaign, millions of Americans were drawn to his seat-of-the-pants bombast, fed up with what they saw as an insincere, overly scripted political class.
But will that shoot-first-explain-later-if-ever style be as effective for President Trump? Two recent events make us wonder whether his approach is already interfering with his efforts to govern effectively.
We expect that, if Trump doesn’t change his insult-and-evade tactics soon, his troubles will only multiply. That’s because in a campaign, you’re only selling yourself – for better or worse, we elect presidents on their personalities more than the policies they’re stumping for. Governing is more complicated. Presidents must contend with other branches of government, an opposition party, entrenched bureaucrats, foreign leaders, and on and on. Force of personality doesn’t get them nearly as far.
Put more simply, campaigning is about who you are. Governing is much more about what you do.
Business communicators need to remember that. Because selling a service or product, through thought leadership or otherwise, is a lot more like governing than campaigning. If customers find you charming or authentic, you might get a meeting because of who you are. But they won’t spend their money unless you convince them that what you do has value.
Trump’s Busy First Few Weeks
The trouble with Trump’s off-the-cufflink style was on full display when he made comments that made it sound as if Frederick Douglass were still alive (Douglass died more than a century ago). The next day, Kellyanne Conway, one of Trump’s closest advisors – in a sign that his off-the-cuff style goes beyond the president – made reference to a terrorist attack that never happened (only to later correct herself).
There are also examples of the Trump administration allegedly spreading falsehoods intentionally, including Trump’s repeated claims that the murder rate in the United States in 2016 was the highest it’s been in nearly 50 years. But for the sake of this blog post, we’re more interested in the mistakes the administration has apparently made unintentionally.
So far, they’ve arguably been more damaging; opponents pummeled Trump over the Douglass flub and Conway has been excoriated in the media nationally and locally and on social media. It’s worth noting that some of Trump’s controversial but subjective comments have also created waves, with his own Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch calling the president’s remarks about the judiciary regarding the controversial travel ban “demoralizing.”
It’s an open question as to whether we’re seeing early cracks in the Trump administration stemming from its communication strategy. But there are reports already that Trump is frustrated and considering a shakeup in the White House communications apparatus. Meanwhile, Trump’s own comments are being used as legal attacks on his immigration ban, leaving government lawyers to argue, as the Washington Post reported, that the president’s rhetoric should be treated “as inadmissible and irrelevant.”
Trump’s Tactics – and Everyone Else’s
Time will tell whether these are merely bumps in the road or the first signs that Trump’s gun-and-run approach is fundamentally inadequate for governing. Maybe he will win the day, again. Trump has, quite frankly, an unparalleled ability to garner attention. And he now possesses the world’s largest megaphone – so his opportunities to retract and recover are quite different from anyone else’s.
But regardless of Trump’s success or failure, we’re not going to start telling our clients to emulate him in business communications. Instead, we’ll keep telling them what we strongly believe is the best way for business leaders to build their reputations through interactions with media and key audiences:
Be Prepared: Go into conversations with reporters or in public knowing exactly what you want to say. Gather your facts, stay positive and enthusiastic.
Develop Messages that Matter: Effective, distinctive, strong messaging that keeps you on point is critical. The best messages balance delivery of the information reporters are seeking and what you want to convey.
Flip the Pyramid: Instead of ending with conclusions, start the conversation that way – the first thing said is most often what we remember – and then make your supporting points.
Flag Your Most Important Points: Use language like, “Here’s what I want you to remember about this,” and “This is a very important point to remember.” Any person – especially a reporter on deadline who is likely dealing with multiple stories in a day – will perk up and pay special attention when you use that kind of language.
Of course, authenticity is a part of what we advise our clients, too. It’s vital to developing a rapport with a reporter or any audience you’re addressing. Coming across as overly rehearsed or formal never helped anyone get their message across. But while saying whatever pops into your head, or whatever you think your listeners want to hear, may help endear you to them personally, if you want them to buy from you, you have to impress them with your ideas, experience and expertise.
Trump’s candor and demeanor have been significant factors in how he’s gotten this far. But less than three weeks into his administration, there’s already talk of the president and his staff rethinking their tactics. Other administrations have recovered from rough starts. But even if that happens here, we wouldn’t recommend Trump’s particular brand of messaging.
February 13, 2017 Update: The New York Times over the weekend reported another example of Trump’s off-the-cufflink style. The newspaper said that National Security Council staff members “get up in the morning, read President Trump’s Twitter posts and struggle to make policy to fit them.”
Two articles about making the world a better place caught our eye this week. One is about a legal marketer telling law school grads to succeed by focusing on helping people – the other is about a CEO tackling the difficult subject of diversity.
We also have some witty dissents from the man poised to join the Supreme Court, the closest thing to teleportation you’ll likely ever see, new thoughts on Elgar’s Enigma Variations and some trends popping up in recent Medium posts.
With that, here’s Recent Reads.
An Interview With Cole Silver: How to Succeed After Law School – This is a worthwhile read about legal marketing, based on an interview with a unique member of the marketing team at Blank Rome, Cole Silver. Cole was a GC for 25 years before joining Blank Rome to help with client development. I love his punchline: “Forget sales. Forget business development. Forget marketing. Just go out and help people, connect with people, serve people. That’s it. If you do that, you will have a very handsome book after a few years because people will understand that you have their best interests at heart and they will reciprocate.” – Steve DiMattia
Tim Ryan’s Awakening – PwC CEO Tim Ryan takes an unorthodox and uncomfortable approach to driving the diversity conversation. While his method and lexicon would be lacking authenticity for many leaders, his Boston blue-collar roots make it real. What’s more, he’s using PwC’s expansive platform and relationships to issue a call to action to Fortune 500 CEOs to join him in a refreshingly different – and dare I say, smarter – conversation on the topic of race. Those who know Ryan best think he just might pull it off. – John Corey
The 4 Wittiest Dissents By Gorsuch – No matter what you think of President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, we’ve read again and again that he’s a good writer with clear, mostly concise thoughts, which often come with a creative punch. I think our clients who are inclined to write – op-eds, bylines, written statements on news items, etc. – can learn something from Gorsuch’s style, especially his dislike for the passive voice, his “old nemesis.” – Agatha Howland
Meet the Students Racing to Make Elon Musk’s Hyperloop a Reality – Teleportation is happening! OK, maybe not teleporting, but you won’t have to get in a fighter jet to hit 600 mph once SpaceX’s hyperloop competition wraps up. The first round of tests happened earlier this week in California, where teams from universities around the world demoed their pods and, ultimately, learned from one another’s designs. It’s a unique competition, inspiring a drive to innovate, yes, but also collaborate. And as someone who learned how to drive on the hyper-congested, Colonial-era highways of New England, I can’t wait to see the final product in action. – Megan Duero
The cult of the paranoid Medium post – Anyone can post to Medium, and it has hosted some great think pieces by authors who might not have had a strong platform otherwise. But it also can provide some credibility to (likely) well-meaning people whose ideas are more cathartic than convincing. As the Washington Post smartly points out, “There’s a weird sort of relief that comes with believing you understand, at least, why a bad thing is happening, even if you’re powerless to stop it.” – Paul Wilson
Breaking Elgar’s Enigma – For those of you who liked Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” and Amazon’s “Mozart in the Jungle,” you’re in luck. In Daniel Estrin’s piece in The New Republic, he undresses composer Edward Elgar’s Variations on an Original Theme (“Enigma”), an orchestral work comprising 14 variations on an original theme, and widely believed to involve a hidden melody, through the eyes of a devoted musical aficionado. If you have an appreciation for the classics, you might enjoy this piece. – Christian Erard
There’s a new dynamic in Washington, D.C., in which critical issues are arguably debated with unsupported claims and promulgated by sources who intentionally refuse to correct them, while the media is denounced with open contempt at the highest levels. Even for organizations not directly involved in politics, it’s worth wondering whether the ground rules for thought leaders are changing – and changing dramatically.
This is an important question at Greentarget, where we promote and protect our clients’ brands and reputations. Because what many of our clients sell is their own intellectual capital, we spend a good portion of each day helping them participate skillfully in influential conversations on the belief that their ideas, if articulated clearly and disseminated effectively, will drive meaningful interactions and business.
But even if Washington has changed (dramatically) in a relatively short period of time, I’d argue the thought leadership rules we regularly preach to our clients haven’t changed; in fact, they are more important than ever.
We tell our clients that the core tenets of basic decency must continue to guide their thought leadership. And we believe adherence to the canons listed below will distinguish their messages and help them truly contribute to a smarter conversation.
- Be honest.
- Be smart.
- Be kind.
We’re really not trying to make Recent Reads all about politics, dear readers. But with the crazy amount of news coming out of Washington these days, much of our collective attention is almost necessarily focused on what’s happening in the Beltway.
We hope our national gaze will turn to other matters – pitchers and catchers report in about a month! – as 2017 progresses. But we’re not holding our breath.
With that, here’s Recent Reads:
BuzzFeed’s decision to publish dossier reasonable – There were plenty of articles this week supporting and decrying BuzzFeed’s decision to publish an unsubstantiated intelligence report alleging that the Russian government had compromising information on Donald Trump. This article probably didn’t garner the most attention, but it’s interesting in that it comes from a PR consultant who works for Republicans and who explained BuzzFeed Editor Ben Smith’s thinking by way of a 15-year-old conversation. I’m not sure where I come down on BuzzFeed’s decision, but this is definitely another instance of the norms of our society changing, and changing rather abruptly. – Paul Wilson
Trump, ‘Lies’ and Honest Journalism – Gerard Baker, The Wall Street Journal’s editor in chief, wrote this piece in response to criticism of his comments on NBC’s “Meet The Press” that he would be careful in using the word “lie” in regard to comments made by Donald Trump. Bottom line: Baker is concerned about certain words and their moral implications, particularly in this tumultuous era. – Abby Moriarty
Brands Start Planning for Unexpected Criticism of Trump – For years now, smart companies have scenario-planned for activist investors, predictable crises and operational snafus. However, they may not have planned to have their actions – positive or otherwise – scrutinized in the blink of an eye in the Twitterverse. That potential is becoming a reality for many companies, particularly given the big changes in Washington. – Larry Larsen
One Man’s Quest to Change the Way We Die – This story is about B.J. Miller, a doctor who has a unique perspective on living and dying due to a near-death experience that left him a triple amputee. We often talk about grit at Greentarget; he has exemplified it in his recovery and now in his work to change the way we approach palliative care. It’s a moving and beautifully written account of his life and mission. – Stephanie Burke
Wearables Could Soon Know You’re Sick Before You Do – Depending on your point of view, this news (which is basically explained in the headline) is either really cool or extremely creepy. But we’re apparently not that far from a time when wearables can tell you you’re coming down with something, allowing you to take action. Here’s hoping technology doesn’t make hypochondriacs act even more like hypochondriacs. – Jackson Pillow
An Experiment in Radical Empathy – After gathering a group of 16 strangers, half vehemently pro-gun, half gun opponents or victims of gun violence, New York magazine put them in a room, paired them off and asked them to share their personal gun stories with one another. Then each had to tell the other’s story – from their partner’s perspective, even using the first person. The results provide a moving, revealing glimpse of the power of empathy – and its limits. – Brandon Copple
In the days immediately after one of the most contentious (and shocking) presidential elections in American history, we attended Social Media Week in Chicago. As you might expect, the election — and social media’s role in it — were the talk of the conference.
After a race in which voters relied on candidates’ social media posts more than their websites and emails as campaign news sources, the conference provided some valuable takeaways.
Personal Versus Professional Divide
Social media, obviously, has professional and personal uses. But millennials — particularly those who’ve grown up with social media — often have difficulty operating effectively in both worlds. Personal posts are often quick and fun, while work posts must be more deliberate and strategic. This is something we think about a lot at Greentarget, where we emphasize thoughtfulness in writing social posts about (sometimes extremely) complex topics.
It’s important for companies to encourage appropriate social posts. Social media is a big part of the digital workspace, where employees are expected to seamlessly collaborate around the world, allowing the diversity of ideas to foster innovation. Unfortunately, employees and leaders at many organizations see social collaboration as a nuisance — when they should see it as a new way to communicate internally as well as with clients and prospective employees.
With the election fresh in our minds, we couldn’t help but think of Donald Trump as someone who effectively blended professional and personal social media messages. While Trump’s critics might find his style troubling, he has pushed boundaries on Twitter and has changed social media’s role in the public discourse. And, of course, he notched an Electoral College victory.
Measurement
As our colleague Pam Munoz wrote recently, measurement will likely continue to dominate conversations about PR strategy, especially those focused on how social media supports and elevates a brand or message. The challenge is that, thanks to relentless change and innovation, social media metrics are constantly changing.
Traditionally we could only measure impact by counting clips and mentions because there was no way to measure the dialogue around news stories. But social media affords opportunities to measure reach and engagement with new metrics like shares, reviews, sentiment and advocate engagement. What hasn’t changed is the need to identify metrics for success at the start of any campaign. Today we can determine the impact of content across social channels by measuring our actual results against what we defined as success factors.
The impact of strong (and measured) results in social media was also on display in this year’s presidential election campaign. Last summer Forbes measured Trump and Hillary Clinton’s followers, social engagements rates, sentiment, SEO, visibility, ad spend and media coverage across a variety of social sites. The article revealed concentrated efforts to leverage social media channels more than candidates had in past elections. The metrics are important because the numbers allowed each candidate to see what worked and what didn’t. It’s important to note that Trump was winning the social media war when the article was written — months before he would win the election.
Social Listening
At Greentarget we pride ourselves in being able to help our clients engage in smarter conversations, and a big part of that is taking a step back and understanding contrary opinions.
This relates to social listening, a theme across several panels, including this one, during Social Media Week. Social listening involves assessing what is being said about a specific entity on various platforms and using it to discover what people are actually talking about. It requires going beyond just monitoring Twitter mentions or Facebook comments; you must dive deep and expand your search past your own personal pages and feeds. It is particularly helpful when trying to pinpoint trends, insights and conversations that matter to specific audiences, something we do frequently for our clients at Greentarget.
Given the prominence of social media in the campaigns, we wondered whether improved social listening could have prevented the shock after the final result. In addition to dominating the social conversation, Trump had more “pro” hashtags than Clinton according to research compiled by Tracx, a social media management platform. The same research also showed that similar trends played out in the swing states, where Trump pulled in nearly four times as many positive hashtags as Clinton.
Keen observers could have spotted these trends in the weeks and months leading up to November 8.
