Michael Jackson has one. So does Martha Stewart. Indictments
heard throughout the world. But we are referring to "truth" Web
sites, the latest iteration in online communications. Both Jackson
and Stewart are using the Internet to speak directly to the public
as they face down legal allegations, rumors and innuendo. But PR
pros say such Web sites are fraught with risks. While they may help
a bit, they can also make a bad situation worse by drawing added
attention to a negative story.
It is easy enough to understand the popularity of such sites.
With an ubiquitous medium at hand, why not go directly to the
people to plead one's case? The Web offers one the chance to put a
brave face on things, to tell one's own side of the story. And it's
not just for mega celebrities like Michael and Martha. Take, for
instance, thetruthaboutdee.com, where a Midwestern beauty queen is
defending herself against charges of disability fraud.
David Margulies set up such a site for The Marshall Estate when
the estate was sued by former Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith, who
claimed she was entitled to some $80 million from the estate of her
late oil-baron husband. "The original plan was to just put up a
kind of defense site, but the trial was so interesting and we
realized reporters were not going to come every day, so this
allowed us to let people see what the testimony was, while also
putting that testimony in context," says Margulies, the head of the
Margulies Communications Group (Dallas).
His PR team started posting daily transcripts from the trial,
using the Web as a means to inform public opinion and assist
reporters in their work, while setting up a positive context for
information. "She had literally brought a case where there was no
evidence, and yet the case produced two million documents,"
Margulies says. "The intention was to make sure reporters could get
a handle on the story, no matter how much or how little they
knew."
Others have used so-called "truth" sites to make an emotional
appeal. As the name suggests, SaveDisney.com is Roy Disney's
attempt to rally support to unseat Walt Disney Co. CEO Michael
Eisner following a boardroom scuffle. At one point, the site was
home to an illustration depicting Eisner dressed as the evil queen
from Disney's classic "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Martha's
site, meanwhile, includes letters of support, including such
impassioned missives as: "I believe in you, your product, and your
message. There is a sense of comfort and warmth that I feel when I
watch your show..." Martha could only hope her jurors feel the same
way.
So what works well on a defensive Web site?
- Tell the truth boldly: "Most people are shy. They don't
want to say, I have been charged with molestation or securities
fraud. But you need to come right out of the box and tackle the
dead moose on the table. You need to present the facts," says
Charles Pizzo, former chairperson of IABC and an independent PR
practitioner in New Orleans. "You want to set the record straight,
to tell your side of the story in a way that is basic, short and to
the point." - Let the people speak: Include a bulletin board or
'blog,' where visitors can voice their opinions. "Just having the
ability for people to come in and voice their opinions adds instant
creditability," says Eastwick Communications VP Giovanni Rodriguez.
Still, don't be afraid to slant the content. "You don't want to
censor everything that comes to your Web site, but you do have
editorial control of these things, if somebody is out of line. It's
not a complete free-for-all." - Provide resources: Offer links to outside articles,
factual Web sites and other sources of unbiased information. It
makes your site user-friendly and, again, speaks to the issue of
credibility. - No spitting match: It's okay and even desirable to talk
about the allegations, but only in order to dismiss them right out
of the gate, says Chandler Howell, managing director of Qorvis
Communications. Don't debate the charges point by point, or you
risk getting into a spitting match with the opposition. Rather,
declare the charges false, and then use the site to remind people
of the fundamentals. "Tie your message back to who you are and who
you want to be perceived as."
Of course, all the other techniques of Web-based PR still apply.
Drive traffic to the site, especially if you have an off-line
medium through which to reach your audience. Make the Web site part
of an overall communications effort, and not just a shot in the
dark. Keep the site consistent with your message.
Yet do all these things right and you still may be walking a
fine line. Detractors say that even the best "truth" site is a
disaster waiting to happen. "A Web site constructed to answer
critics and fend off attack is by definition reactionary and thus
credibility-challenged," says Rob Gelphman, principal of Gelphman
Associates. "People will just look for the holes in the armor... It
will serve to heighten the debate against you, elevating possible
acrimony, not mitigate it."
He's not alone in this assessment. "Frankly, when someone mounts
a defensive campaign, methinks they doth protest too much," says
Judy Safern, president of LeadingThinkers Public Relations. "In
corporate communications, you want to move as swiftly as possible
through the steps from crisis preparedness to damage control to
disaster relief. Dwelling too much on the defense is a mistake. The
best way to survive a crisis is to come clean as quickly as
possible and then spin.
"Martha Stewart should know better than anyone," Safern adds.
"You don't spin dirty laundry. That'll only set the stains."
Contacts: Rob Gelphman, 408.451.8420, [email protected]; Chandler
Howell, 703.744.7801, [email protected]; Richard
Laermer, 310.207.9200, [email protected]; David Margulies,
214.368.0909, [email protected]; Charles
Pizzo, 504.282.0454, [email protected];
Giovanni Rodriguez, 650.480.4021, [email protected]; Judy
Safern, 323.931.4333, [email protected];
Steve Wilson, 614.461.1333, [email protected]