Weathering the Storm of Public Controversy

1. Goals of this presentation
· Acquaint attendees with the realities of being at the center of a public controversy
· Identify lessons learned as the result of my experience
· Suggest specific actions to help either avoid or cope with similar incidents in the future

2. Why are these goals important?
· Public controversy can destroy a career, weaken family bonds and impoverish you
· Community leaders may be more liable to be singled out for public scrutiny or ridicule
· What is said and done in the opening hours of a controversy can shape the balance of the debate

3. My background
· Long time BDSM interest
· Community leader
· Unusual career field
· Non-traditional professional education
· Open regarding who I am and what I do
· Employed by a controversial agency then at the center of world attention

4. What happened?
· Newspaper articles highlight my BDSM interests, question my professional qualifications and criticize my employer for insufficient pre-employment screening
· My resignation is offered but not accepted
· More negative articles, TV spots and radio discussions plus with a few positive pieces
· Many supporters within the community and a few professional colleagues write letters
· Final article tries to establish a linkage to criminal activity
· Favorable letters to the editor published
· Favorable ombudsmen column signals the end of the immediate controversy
· This phase lasted a long 12 days

5. Why did it happen?
· My employer may have been viewed as an obstacle by others
· Attacking the credibility of the staff may weaken the image of an organization
· I was probably perceived as an easy target

6. Immediate personal reaction
· Anger regarding being exploited in this manner
· Anxiety regarding near term financial stability and future employability
· Disappointment regarding denial and conflict within my biological family
· Desire to defend myself
· Decision to keep silent and avoid reporters
7. What did I personally need?
· To know that my biological and leather family was solidly behind me
· To know that my friends supported me
· To know that my club supported me
· People to help me make decisions about things small and large
· Certainty that I was not about to lose my house, my car and the respect of my peers
· People who were more concerned about me than about being associated with me

8. The community has an impact
· Over 100 people emailed to say that they had sent a letter to the editor
· Approximately 60 letters were received by the principle newspaper - overwhelmingly supportive
· Letters may have initially encouraged further negative articles by questioning the motivations of both the author and editors
· Ultimately, only two letters were published - both positive
· Interviews given by friends were ultimately less helpful than letters to the editor

9. Lessons learned
· Being out is philosophically comfortable but fraught with personal and professional risk
· Being able, at the crucial moment, to articulate who I am and what I stand for was enormously helpful
· The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth helped me retain my job
· Keep your employer in your corner by doing nothing to further enflame the situation
· The absence of allegations of criminal activity significantly aided crisis management
· Don't expect that people will do either what they promise or what you expect
· Positive letters to the editor and to community email lists are ultimately a good thing. Let NCSF and your team manage this.
· Focus on remaining calm, silent and avoid reporters, negative articles, the television and Google
· Mend fences with your family if necessary
· Identify potential sources of emergency funding
· Find a competent lawyer and explore legal options to stop the immediate problem
· Identify people who were both willing and capable of knowledgably and independently coordinating the actions of others on your behalf. These action include media response, keeping the community informed of the facts and fund raising
· Accept that you will not be thinking clearly and objectively
· It was very difficult to watch questions being raised on community email lists and being unable to respond

10. Applying the lessons to future incidents
A. Personal actions
· If you have advance knowledge that a controversy is about to break tell your family, close friends and your employer what is about to happen and why.
· Don't talk to a reporter before the story breaks unless you are either very very sure that you know what to say or you are trapped by a surprise call. In either case keep the discussion as brief as possible. Say nothing to the media after the story breaks.
· Arrange for time off from work and stay out of sight
· Ask your friends to form a small team to help you with everything
· Contact NCSF and tell them what has happened, what you plan to do and what they are free to do.

B. Tasks for friends
· Form a team to coordinate community support, act as a source of authoritative information and manage fund raising activities if necessary
· Write letters of support to the besieged person
· Visit the besieged person and let them vent anger, anxiety and dumb plans - ignore or discourage the latter
· Help the besieged person in practical ways including finding new employment, buying groceries and paying the rent

11. Mid-term report
· I still have my job and, I believe, the confidence of my employer
· I was very successful in Iraq and thereby regained some professional credibility outside my organization
· Ties with my family have strengthened beyond what they were before the incident
· Apparent stupidity on the part of another former inspector caused my name to arise yet again in the media in a negative context related to my BDSM interests

12. Summary
· Being at the center of a public controversy is a frustrating and frightening experience
· What you do and say in the first hours can significantly affect the outcome of the controversy
· You need the help of your friends and the community; ask for it and then get out of their way
· No matter how bleak it looks and how much it hurts you will probably suffer less damage than you anticipate

Questions

 

© 2003 Jack McGeorge
Black Rose, Washington, DC

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