Tag: The Guardian

The hard truth about apologies: your reputation rests on them

Apology image. Lots of red squares with white text saying sorry

However tough it is, saying sorry for a mistake is the right thing to do.

When things go wrong, a timely genuine apology can repair reputational damage and restore trust.

It helps if the words are heartfelt and backed up by a commitment to put things right. Comms professionals sometimes describe this as ‘owning a crisis’.

Being sincere. Taking ownership. Committing to putting things right. Learning lessons. We hail these as the steps to reputational redemption, whatever the problem.

But, as we’ve witnessed recently, reality and personality can get in the way of a textbook approach. April saw a spate of missteps followed by apologies, with varying degrees of success. In sharing these examples, we offer no comment on the events which led to the apologies. They speak for themselves and generated miles of copy already.

This is all about the contrition, and how it went down. 

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People aren’t grieving when retweeting celebrity comments

Celbrity death tweet

I’ve been reading about something called Celebrity Death Twitter Harvest, or the tendency for people to express collective sadness on social media when someone famous dies.

The recent death of Dad’s Army star Clive Dunn led The Guardian to ask today why celebs (or anyone who tweets) mark the passing of someone famous with such a tribute. Well, it contributes to the conversation taking place in the Twittersphere for a start. And it’s easier than buying flowers.

I’ve always thought some of the tweets seem insincere, but it doesn’t stop me from doing it to acknowledge the death of someone who has made an impact on my life. And doesn’t this go with the territory?

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Freedom of Information, or ‘freedom to fish’?

I’d like to share with you two views on our Freedom of Information legislation, which is the subject of some serious discussions about its future use.

The Guardian has today published a leader in defence of the Freedom of Information Act, saying that any proposed move to restrict its application would be ‘a retrograde step’.

This is in response to Parliamentary considerations on possible reform of the Act and mentions a report from the Ministry of Justice into the volume of requests dealt with by Government departments. It’s interesting that the leader states that the report suggests dealing with FoI requests is ‘increasingly onerous’, when no such language is used in the document.

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When ‘allegedly’ means ‘blatantly’ on social media

Social media users were quick today to judge this unpleasant tirade on a London tram – and who can blame them? It’s not clear what causes the rant from the woman with a child on her lap, but it seems that she was at it for long enough for a fellow passenger to film her and post the clip on YouTube.

Tens of thousands of views later, the woman is trending on Twitter and in the media spotlight after having been arrested by police investigating the incident.

The reaction to the outburst on social media contrasts with the way journalists have treated it, despite having access to the same material.

Note the use of the word ‘allegedly’ in The Guardian’s report of the incident this morning, appearing to show restraint as a police investigation takes place in the background, even though anyone who sees the clip will surely come to a quick conclusion about what’s happened.

It highlights a key difference between news journalism and social media and the way they reflect on the world. In the news, the woman ‘allegedly’ makes racist comments because she has not yet been convicted of anything and newsdesks are mindful of Contempt of Court legislation. To those sitting in judgement on their laptops and iPhones, such phrases can make the old media seem flat-footed. How much more blatant can one get? Well, only time will tell.

Either way, most people agree it’s pretty disgraceful (if genuine) and will hope the police bring the case to a quick close.

Feelings on phone hacking and journalism

I’ve followed the unfolding phone hacking saga with interest over the last couple of years, since The Guardian first broke the story. And with amazement as the crisis escalated to claim The News of the World, which publishers culled today.

It’s an incredible story, which everyone comments on but no-one connected with it – including those of us who buy tabloids without complaint – comes away completely untarnished.

It’s a struggle to think of anything original to say about what’s happened this week. But here’s a couple of thoughts, based on my own experience and feelings.

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‘Andy Gray-gate’ highlights slack media practice

Andy Gray’s sacking today after another of his puerile outbursts (this time to colleague Charlotte Jackson last month, above) teaches him a harsh lesson.

Someone with his experience should know that ‘private’ comments are still fair game if someone within earshot finds them offensive enough to share with the media.

In fact, if you utter them in a room full of people, it isn’t very ‘private’ at all, and therefore best kept to yourself.

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