June 2003 - A regular e-newsletter brought to you by Genevieve Westcott, Communication Mentor, helping you master the media for fame, fortune and fun.

"The media is a whore - but occasionally we must get into bed with it."
- British MP Aneurin Bevan

Just now, I was sitting at my desk, going through some stuff, when I had a sudden thought. So I called out to my long-suffering assistant, Jim…

"Hey Jim! What the heck happened to... ?"

As far as we know, you're still alive and kicking. Even if we haven't heard from you in a while. Maybe because you haven't heard from us in a while. Truth is, we've been busy. Really. And we apologize. Profusely.

But we're back now with some media "Need To Read" material. Stuff that'll help you succeed in this MTV-mad generation. Where reporters rule. And you'd better know how to deal with them.
Or else.

IN THIS ISSUE - just click on any article to jump straight to it!

1. How Your Life Just Got A Whole Lot Simpler
2. Three Brand New Newsletters To Power Your Business
3. Meet My New Associate Who's So Smart You'll Want To Hire Him Yourself - But Remember - He's Mine!
4. Four Quick TV Tips
5. What NOT To Do When You Land Knee-Deep In It
6. Three Quick Crisis Communications Lifelines
7. Why Beating Up On Journalists Just Doesn't Work - An Eyewitness Account From Japan
8. Smart Travel Trips For Doing Business In A War Zone
9. Who Is Genevieve Westcott Anyways And How The Heck Can She Help Me?

FIRST - SOME BIG CHANGES GUARANTEED TO MAKE YOUR LIFE A WHOLE LOT EASIER

After this issue, no more big, long newsletters. Who's got time? I don't have enough hours in the day to write them - and you don't have enough minutes in the hour to read them. So from now on, expect plain, to the point, rock solid, take-it-to-the-bank media information. Period.

NEWSFLASH! YOU MUST RE-SUBSCRIBE NOW TO CONTINUE RECEIVING THESE PEARLS OF WISDOM

In order to keep these newsletters shorter and sharper so you've got more time to play with your dog - or your kid - I'm now offering you 3 different publications, each dealing exclusively with:

Click 'Join' to let us know which newsletter you need. Quite frankly, if you're serious about doing bigger, better business, you'd be crazy not to take all three. But you might want only one. You choose. You can always vote with your mouse later if they're not for you. What have you got to lose?

MEET MY SMART NEW ASSOCIATE - LET'S PUT HIM TO WORK!

I'm privileged to now be working with Richard Newell, a highly experienced financial reporter slash corporate consultant from the UK. Click here to find out more about him and how he can help build your media profile.
He's just flown in from an assignment in Japan. He couldn't believe his eyes when a high-powered businessman pulled a major tantrum under the astonished gaze of the international media! Click here to read his story. Just goes to show all over the world, a lot of "smart" business people still don't get it. Ouch!

ENOUGH WITH THE HOUSEKEEPING! HERE ARE THE GNUS

4 QUICK TV TIPS

1. Definitely don't wear stripes. They strobe all over the screen and distract the viewers. What do you want them paying attention to? Your suit? Or your brilliant thoughts? Make it easy for them.

2. Don't lean back in your chair. You'll look evasive - distant - unconnected. You could also look shorter and fatter. Really!

3. Reporters never have to ask your permission to quote you. They just do. They never clear it with you first. So always be on the record. Always.

4. Don't audio or videotape an interview in front of a reporter unless you're 100% sure you're going to be mistreated.

WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN YOU LAND KNEE-DEEP IN IT. TOUGH LESSONS FROM PAN PHARMACEUTICALS

In these days of PR spin and media manipulation, it amazes cynical old hacks like us that companies still manage to tie themselves in knots - regularly - when faced with a potentially damaging situation. If you don't have an in-house media expert, get some help. Click here to check out our crisis communication life lines. There are few things more dangerous than a journalist following the sweet scent of a good story.

Case in point? When Pan Pharmaceuticals was the victim of Australia's largest ever product recall, the company directors did nothing to stem the flood of media speculation about the risk this posed for consumers.

What Pan did is a textbook case of how NOT to manage the media. Here's what you can learn from their costly mistakes.

Rule Number One - Don't Bury Your Head In The Sand

• This was a big story picked up by all the media. More than 1,500 products manufactured by Pan - Australia's largest contract manufacturer of pharmaceuticals - had been recalled. And because Pan was exporting its products, the international media was also chasing them hard. Astonishingly, it took almost 24 hours after the product recall was announced before Pan spoke to the media.
• Which means Pan was hoping the media wouldn't pick up on the story. Or worse, Pan simply didn't understand that this is precisely the sort of story that journalists love.
• A number of Pan Pharmaceuticals directors spoke to the media on that second day, but gave conflicting - and often confusing - information. That means they hadn't even discussed among themselves what the company's response should be. You might call that naïve. We call it downright incompetent.
  

Rule Number Two - Move Quickly

• It took three days for Pan to hold a news conference. By then, the story had taken on a life of its own, and Pan had absolutely no control over it. The damage had already been done.
• In the glare of international media pressure, the company struggled to get its message across and was soon on the brink of insolvency. Should we expect better of our business leaders? You betcha. Any business that expects to scrape through life without getting scratched is living in La-La land.
  

Rule Number 3 - Tell The Truth

• Any director of a publicly listed company will tell you the market doesn't like surprises. Honesty is pretty much always the best policy. So Pan should have fronted up to the media with a properly prepared statement, as soon as the extent of the problem was known. By showing its concern and demonstrating that it was working hard to put the situation right, it would have been able to preserve some credibility. Instead, the company sought to hide the truth. And the cover-up is worse than the original sin. Always.
  

Rule Number 4 - Here Comes the Cavalry

• Pity the poor PR agency that was brought in to fight that fire. They never stood a chance. By contrast, after GlaxoSmithKline was forced to recall Panadol in 2000 following an extortion attempt, the company worked hard to restore confidence in its brands. Its PR consultants arranged a tour of the company's factory for journalists, with the company's chief executive demonstrating the safety of the product's packaging.

Rule Number 5 - Don't Touch That Paper Shredder

• A much more sinister aspect of the Pan story emerged when it was revealed that Pan staff had shredded files and had refused to return telephone calls. On one occasion, a Pan employee told auditors that computer records couldn't be produced because they didn't have the right password.
• Come on. We weren't born yesterday. This is precisely the sort of behaviour that arouses suspicion and hostility in the public. Let's put it this way. If you say to me 'No comment', I'll know for sure there's a story there. If you make some lame excuse for not being able to give me information, I'll know there's more to the story than meets the eye. And I'll be even more persistent in my questioning.
• Pan has since made attempts to clean up its act and hold those responsible to account. The bad news is the costly damage has already been done. It's going to have to work very hard and very long to to regain its credibility. Phew! What IS that smell?

3 QUICK CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS LIFELINES

1. Nothing is ever off the record. Journalists always take - and keep - notes. These are reviewed by their editors, publishers and even their lawyers.

2. Tough questions usually aren't the problem. Not preparing for them and giving poorly thought-out answers will be what sinks you. So brainstorm, rehearse, and get ready for all the worst questions you can think of - before the interview begins.

3. "Gee, that's a good question. I don't know. But I'll find out and get back to you before deadline" is so much smarter to say to a reporter than making up an answer as you go along - which later turns out to be inaccurate.

WHY BEATING UP ON JOURNALISTS DOESN'T WORK - WHAT MY ASSOCIATE JUST WITNESSED IN JAPAN

Last month, while in Japan on business, Richard Newell met with the senior director of the Government Pension Fund, one of the largest investment pools in the world. He's been fiercely criticised in the Japanese media for his policy of investing the fund in overseas stocks (See? Cullen isn't the only one!) You'd figure this guy could have afforded the best media advice money can buy. Right? Wrong!

After a run of three of the worst years on record for stocks, the criticism of this gentleman has been particularly harsh. But he was having none of it. According to his public tirade, which Richard says you had to see to believe, the dumb old media just didn't get it. The fund was investing with a 30-year view. He lashed out at journalists for their lack of financial market knowledge. He accused them of ignorance and of blindly sticking to pre-planned agendas, rather than trying to understand the complex issues that he grapples with.

Yeah right, I can hear what you're thinking. You may very well share his view! We know in the natural order of things, journalists are often considered scum of the earth. If they can't think of anything to write, they just make it up, right? And since this has proved to be an accurate description, at least in the case of the ousted New York Times reporter, we're here to offer you solid advice on how to get your message across when the journo (you think) has a pre-determined agenda - or is just too stupid to understand what the heck you're talking about!

• Prepare your material. Take care to present your points in simple terms, avoiding the use of jargon.
  
  
• Give the journalist every opportunity to learn more. Don't assume they understand everything you're saying.
  
  
• Don't leave it up to them to ask what something means. Say, "Do you want me to explain how that works? Or what that means?" It's not uncommon for an interviewer to gloss over an issue if they don't understand it, for fear of looking stupid. It's in your interest to make it easy for the journalist to get behind the story.
  
  
• If it's clear the journalist wants to follow only one line of enquiry, don't show your frustration. If you've said all you want to say, do what all good politicians do - give a very dull, repetitive answer. But do vary the words, saying the same thing in a different way. Otherwise, you sound like a pre-programmed robot.
  
  
• A classic example? An interview British MP Michael Howard, then Home Secretary, gave to the BBC's Jeremy Paxman. Howard was on the back foot, but refused to budge to Paxman's persistent line of questioning. Paxman asked the same question a total of 27 times, and Howard gave a different variation of the same 'non-denial denial' 27 times.

SMART TRAVEL TIPS TO DO BUSINESS IN A WAR ZONE

One of the best things about my job is the amount of valuable inside information I hear every day. When I can, I love to pass it along to you.

So if you're headed to a war zone to do business, here's what you must know. As a globe-trotting reporter, I never went anywhere without lots of research and preparation. Travel like a smart foreign correspondent and come home alive.

These timely tips come from Gary Morrison, managing director of NZ's leading corporate security firm, Icon Group. He's one of our wonderful clients. And believe me, when it comes to safety and security in the boardrooms of the nation or hot spots around the world, he's one of the best. I'd trust him with my life. And many high-profile New Zealanders do.

Gary's best advice? Here's the master himself:

"It used to be that an overseas trip was regarded as a bit of a bonus but I don't think anyone's getting too excited at having to fly near the Middle East at present! Even if you're visiting a 'safe' destination, you should be taking more notice of security measures than usual. I certainly am.

"I always make 3 copies of:

• My passport details,
• Insurance policy,
• Medical information,
• Travellers cheques and credit card numbers,
• Itinerary
• Details of people I'll be meeting (including the time and location of pre-arranged meetings).

"One copy goes with me. One stays at home. And one is left at the office. Missing an arranged phone or email contact with home base should then quickly alert someone that you're in difficulty - and pinpoint where you should be.

• Be wary of what you carry. Any metal tool, solvent-based product or wrapped package in your hand luggage could create delays.
  
  
• Never leave your bags unattended or 'watch over' luggage for someone you don't know.
  
  
• If visiting a non-English speaking country, be sure to correctly identify the person who's meeting you. Try to get a bilingual colleague to accompany you at all times. Amazing misunderstandings can be created by the most innocent enquiry.
  
  
• Occupy the third to sixth floors of a hotel building (to avoid targeting by bombers and burglars - and better for escaping in the event of a fire).
  
  
• Try not to travel on underground transport or attend any mass gathering, particularly of a religious nature.
  
  
• If you do find yourself in a threatening situation, stay calm. Identify any possible exits, co-operate fully, don't make eye contact or stand out in any way to the antagonists. If the worst happens, drop to the floor and protect yourself best you can.
  
  
• Keep a watch on what you say and where you say it. Freely voicing a viewpoint could place you in a heap of trouble - even if it's only stating the obvious about our rugby playing Wannabes (sorry, Wallabies) across the Tasman."

Thanks Gary! You can check him out at www.icongroup.co.nz

WHO THE HECK IS GENEVIEVE WESTCOTT ANYWAYS AND WHAT EXACTLY CAN HER COMPANY DO FOR ME?

Genevieve Westcott is an international award-winning television presenter/ journalist and managing director of Westcott Communications Ltd. Her Auckland-based communications company offers public and in-house workshops and seminars, corporate communications training, keynote speeches, one-on-one executive coaching, and strategic thinking in media relations, clever marketing and branding. One of NZ's leading experts in communications, Genevieve works with corporates, top athletes, government departments, politicians, entrepreneurs and non-profit associations.

WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM, BUDDY?
Got a communications problem? Click here and tell Genevieve all about it. My thousands of interview subjects over the years tell me I'm quite a good listener. Check out all the ways we can help you at www.communicationmentor.com. We're just a phone call away on +64 9 410 4001.