Don't tell lies to the media

TJ’s Insights

May 16, 2005

New Books, TJ Walker’s “Media Training A-Z”
http://www.mediatrainingworldwide.com/mediatrainingaz.html
“Presentation Training A-Z” http://www.mediatrainingworldwide.com/presentaz.html

Your Worst Media Nightmare

Every once in awhile, you come across a media interview with a celebrity or high profile business executive and you think “wow, it couldn’t be worse than that. This person’s reputation is destroyed!”

The following are quotes and excerpts from a front page story in the business section of the May 16th, 2005 New York Times, above the fold, on Russell Simmons, a music and fashion entrepreneur.

The quotes from Simmons and the story surrounding them are such a disaster that they need no commentary from me. So sit back and brace yourself for the train wreck that follows.

'It is how you develop an image for companies. So in other words, you give out false statements to mislead the public so they will then increase in their mind the value of your company,' Mr. Simmons said.

The New York Times writes, “The strategy seemed to work. In February 2003, for instance, Mr. Simmons appeared on CNBC saying that Phat Fashions was ‘doing $350 million’ in sales. In fact, Phat Fashions' revenue for 2002 totaled $14.3 million, according to court papers and the company.”

'In other words, did I say it? I was hoping it would sound good.' He adds, 'maybe by that year the gross numbers were there. I don't know.'

The New York Times writes, “Throughout his testimony, Mr. Simmons appears unreserved, offering occasionally lengthy answers and cursing. Yet at another point, shortly before he was to be asked about comments he made to The New York Times in 2003, he asked, suddenly: ‘It is not going to come out, right, about me lying to everybody? Right?’”

The New York Times writes, “Asked in his deposition whether he believed the numbers in his book, Mr. Simmons said no.”

The New York Times writes, “In general, Rush said, Mr. Simmons has described the company's fortunes depending on the context. In speaking with the news media, the company said, he often used retail sales ‘in order to keep the brand on equal footing with competitors, who typically released what appeared to be retail sales figures to the media.’”

'To use numbers that would not have enabled consumers to compare like with like would have misled the buying public and, at the same time, would have been a foolish and unnecessary self-inflicted wound to the Phat Fashions brand,' the statement (from Russell’s company) said.

Wow! I am sure that have been celebrities who have come across worse in media interviews—but none come immediately to mind. Simmons might as well walk through Times Square wearing a sandwich board that reads “I am a liar, liar, liar and my pants are on fire!”

Every PR 101 book always starts off by saying “don’t lie to the media.” Maybe it’s not such bad advice.

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Author of Media Training A-Z
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TJ Walker
Media Training Worldwide
212-764-4955

Media Training Worldwide provides more media and presentation training workshops and seminars (54 separate courses) than any other company in the world. Media Training Worldwide also publishes more than 100 presentation training books, DVDs, CDs, and other information products and is the largest presentation/media training publisher in the world. For a product catalog or more information on training services call 800-755-7220 or visit http://mediatrainingworldwide.com/mediatrainingcatalogapril2004.pdf.

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