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Creative Confrontation

Create the illusion of access, play hard to get with reporters requesting information or interviews, and bring the hammer down hard on journalists, editors, and outlets who don't play ball.

3 years ago

Latest Post Get 'Em While They're Young by Rigged public

“Fight back--the best defense is a good offense.” This was Herb Schmertz's key piece of advice to all businesspeople about dealing with the media. Schmertz preached a combative strategy for corporate public relations, which he had honed as a political operative in D.C. He urged businesspeople to create the illusion of access, playing hard to get with reporters requesting information or interviews, and to bring the hammer down hard on journalists, editors, and outlets who don't play ball.

Industries that use or have used it: Alcohol, automotive, food, oil, tobacco

Examples:

- False equivalence: “President Obama claims that he was born in the                            United States and thus is eligible to serve as president; his critics disagree on both counts.”

- Actual truth: “Barack Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961; a persistent                       ‘birther’ movement denies this fact.”

Rigged

Published 3 years ago