Words to live (and die) by

"If you don't want to be quoted, don't say it."
"The mike is always on"

I don't know who originally made these quotes, but they're oft-repeated in journalism and public relations. As the header says, words to live and die by.

Case in point: BP Chairman Tony Hayward, while visiting the Lousiana Gulf Coast to brief people on the company's efforts to stop the blown-out well and clean-up the mess. He said a lot of good things, but one statement blew him out of the PR water. "I would like my life back."

Oops. My sense of the man is he meant nothing other than to say he wants to fix this. But perception was otherwise and as I learned a long time ago in journalism, "Perception is reality."

Everyone has said more than one thing they wish they could take back during their lives. I'm near the head of the list. Most of us however, aren't thrown into the public spotlight.

Some spotlight. As Mr. Hayward is finding out, it's incredibly bright. When it comes to words vs sticks and stones, take the latter.

In this 24/7 news cycle environment, with social media fueling it even more, one vocal faux-pas, all the King's PR men and their horses can't put Humpty Dumpty together again.

Just in case you're saying to yourself, "Self, I'd never let this happen to me," think again.

Media training and crisis management are something we and our strategic partners at Conversation Starters specialize in. We've been on both sides of the mike and have learned from our own mistakes.

Let us help you keep from making the same ones. Or if you do, how to clean up afterwards.

Brian Olson
CEO and Founder
Conversation Starters, LLC