|
Who
Stepped In It
No
Comment Is Not Cool: Hollywood movies can
make people who say "no comment" look cool
and in control of the media. Hollywood isn't reality.
When these two words are spoken to a real reporter
and end up in a real story, the results are not cool.
Whether it's "no comment" or declining to
comment, today's readers take that as an admission
of guilt, hiding, or ducking the truth. Three long-term
care insurance providers -- Conseco, Penn Treaty America
and John Hancock Insurance -- are now in the cross-hairs
of the media for denying claims to elderly policy
holders. When confronted, each company clammed up
and issued a silly mission statement. That assuredly
makes a reporter dig deeper, and alerts the reader
that something is fishy. There is nothing to be gained
by going silent on a story that is already going forward.
Get your side of the story out when the reporter calls.
Be honest, admit mistakes, apologize, change or create
procedures to fix the problem, and state all your
good work. No one bats a thousand. Mistakes happen.
Get them behind you quickly. A tarnished image never
helps the bottom line. |
