Getting caught up in a scandal can damage a reputation. But it’s the lying and taking the public for fools that erodes trust and leads to ruin.
Let’s look to the original ‘-gate’ as an example. When attempted spying was detected at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) offices in the Watergate complex in 1972, US President Nixon tried to suppress the story as a ‘third-rate burglary.’
But the investigators and journalists knew something was up and persisted. Washington Post reporters, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward relentlessly pursued the bigger story.
Drawn out over two years, Nixon became the only American president to resign, in August 1974, just a few days before an impeachment trial was due to start.
The whole affair became known as Watergate and so started the flood of ‘gates’ that we’re still exposed to today.
Every country (except for the Italians who use ‘opoli’ as their suffix of preference) and the industry seems to have a ‘gate’ scandal in their closet.
In South African politics, Muldergate, or Infogate, prompted a change of presidents in the late 1970s.
Across the Atlantic and two decades later, we see Boris Johnson embroiled in Partygate. An ex-columnist with an incisive turn of phrase, it’s going to be interesting to see whether he can shrug this off with a witty comment and dishevelled ‘exit stage left’.
PR lessons from Partygate
1. Where were the dissenters?
The culture at ‘Number 10’ has been described as “being in their own bubble”. It can be immensely comfortable working with people just like you, who reinforce your behaviour and beliefs and never question the status quo.
It’s hard to believe that no one on this team called the behaviour out as selfish, inappropriate, and illegal. When you have dissenters on your team who see things differently and speak up about it, listen and thank them.
2. Don’t Deny! Deny! Deny!
When faced with a crisis, your natural reaction might be to run and hide. That’s not advisable. Rather react quickly and professionally with a statement so that your point of view can be included in the developing story. Responsible news organisations will want to hear from you. Being honest, transparent and accessible from the start keeps the story straight.
3. Keep it real
The stories of citizens (including the Queen) whose compliance with lockdown restrictions meant they endured isolated personal pain, making the scandal even more galling. Take a moment to contemplate your public’s (customers, suppliers, staff, shareholders) situation, and let’s talk about that.
Our mandate as public relations practitioners is to enhance our clients’ reputations, facilitate open and honest communication and build trust. As discussed in a previous newsletter, trust is our most valuable currency. Unlike Nixon, Johnson might survive Partygate, but he’s lost the public’s trust.
See Boris Johnson’s competence graph: https://yougov.co.uk/
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