The Scorpion and the Frog

There is a very famous fable that tells the tale of a scorpion and a frog. Both are sitting on the edge of a large lake. The frog is about to swim to the other side when the scorpion asks if he could ride on his back because he needs to get to the other side, too. The frog says, "No because you'll sting me and I'll die."  The scorpion quickly responds by assuring the frog that won't happen. "If I sting you," he explains, "then I'll drown." That makes sense to the frog so he agrees to give the scorpion a ride. Halfway across the lake the scorpion stings the frog. As they both are about to die, the frog says, "Why did you do that. Now you are going to die, too?" The scorpion says, "It's just my nature."

This fable has been in my thoughts a lot lately as I have been contemplating the challenges of communication as they relate to the nature of people. We are often an unpredictable bunch. As emotional beings that process many different sets of information throughout our days, how we feel, express ourselves or choose to behave at any given time is not always easy to foresee. It also makes the prospect of connecting with us or us with each other much more of a challenge. Unfortunately, communication is more difficult when stability and consistency are not around. This is often how it is for those who try to communicate for a living.

In the face of such unrelenting inconsistency on the part of prospective customers or clients, it is no wonder why research and planning are such important elements for professional communicators. Public relations practitioners, for instance, whose actions are little more than spur-of-the-moment decisions court disaster. Reaction should not be a professional's normal pattern of behavior. Even if one is forced to react to the unexpected, as much as possible they need to have prepared themselves for such an occurrence. While we all act in ways that characterize our nature, for the professional, our nature needs to include being as prepared as possible.

Dealing With Our Contradictory Nature

Perhaps the one characteristic we as human share more than any other is that we are a mass of contradictions. We want to be alone. We want to be part of groups. We are benevolent. We are selfish. We want to be independent. We want guidelines. We are self serving. We are generous. We stick to the truth. We shade the truth. We have violent tendencies. We desire peace. And on and on it goes. It is no wonder that our evolution has been in zig-zags rather than a straight line. It is also no wonder that we miss-communicate as much as we do. Given our many contradictions, it is amazing that one can find any meaningful threads of consistency within us at all.     

The ultimate challenge of communicators is to step into that briar patch and try to bring some kind of order into the chaos that is part of our nature as humans and then seek ways to bring people together despite their multitude of differences. Talk about "mission impossible." If ever there was one, this is it. Part of people's contradictory nature is the fact they want to want to travel their own path while at the same be accepted by others and even belong to some type of group or organization. The challenge of communicators is to acknowledge both of those elements within us, yet in a way that reconciles them. Coming up with the messaging to make that happen is most definitely an art and a science.

Successful communication has a limited shelf life. What works today will in all probability not work tomorrow because perspectives and priorities people have one day are not always what they will have the next. Plus, there are outside forces that affect messages constantly. Facts may remain the same but one's perception of them may not. Consequently, communicators face the daunting task of reinventing messages and redoing outreach strategies.  It is not necessarily a matter of fixing what is wrong or making better what has been put forward. Rather, the challenge is to come up with something different. For communicators, it is a never-ending story.

The Rise of Informal Opinion Leaders

For at least the past decade we have seen the rise of a special group of people who have been exhibiting more and more influence over the general public. I am talking about informal opinion leaders. More and more so many of us are making decisions on what to buy, what movie to see, what vacation spot to visit, what brand of cereal to eat, what car to drive, what candidate to vote for, etc. based on the recommendation - often unsolicited - of others. More often than not, these persons are not famous. They are viewed as being "informal" because they are not famous. Rather, they are our friends, co-workers and family members. Often, we turn to them rather than make the effort of doing our own fact finding or research. Instead, to borrow a famous line from an old commercial, we leave the driving to others.

There are several interesting aspects of this. One is that it points to a growing lack of trust or confidence on the general public's part in the media, editorial and advertising.  This trend was first cited over ten years ago in a study by two scholars, E. B. Keller and J. L. Berry. Their research indicated that one American in ten tells the other nine how to vote, where to eat, what to buy, etc. Talk about being influential! A second interesting aspect is it points to the growing power of word-of-mouth advertising. Regular folks talking with regular folks. Thus, it is no surprise that opinion leaders continue to be viewed as a major communication tool for professional communicators.

We are at the beginning of what I predict will be a heated presidential campaign. If the rise of informal opinion leaders continues - and there are no indications it won't - my sense is endorsements each candidate receives from editorial boards and commentators, high profile celebrities, other well known elected officials, and corporate and organizational leaders will have little impact on which way people vote. Instead, look for the candidates and their organizations to pour tons of money into speaking directly to the voters and to making great use of unknown people to speak out on behalf of their clients.  More and more we listen to people with whom we can relate.  

The Changing Media

I bet all of us have heard the old expression, "Nothing lasts forever," thousands of times. Besides the fact it is true, it is one of those catch-all phrases that acknowledges our brief time on earth and captures the inconsistencies of human behavior and evolution of life itself. For me, it also helps keep the ups and downs of life in a healthy perspective. In the case of this particular entry, I am referring to the media. Called for many years "the fourth branch of government," the media is a major part of our society. As has been the case with other three branches, it, too, has changed considerably over the years - in ways that are positive and, in my view, negative.

One negative change has been in the rise of niche journalism. This is journalism that is carried out with a predisposition toward a certain bias. For practitioners of niche journalism, it is not enough to present the news as objectively as possible. Instead, the news is presented to the public through the lens of, say, a conservative or liberal filter. This means several things: the public is no longer getting accurate news and that the media is dividing up audiences into two, if not more, camps as people tap into outlets not so much to gain new information but to have their own perspectives and biases reinforced. Unfortunately, practitioners of niche journalism seem to be gaining in popularity while the so-called straight news outlets are in decline.

For public relations professionals, it is important they remain up-to-speed on these changes for the simple reason they directly impact the ability of these communicators to do their job. My own sense is this is one more reason why public relations practitioners are turning away from the media as a key way to reach various publics. With media outlets being seen increasingly as mouth pieces for the political parties, their credibility as legitimate sources of information is shrinking. For public relations to be most effective, its communication vehicles and channels must be credible. Sadly, more and more the media is not fitting that bill.

Addiction

Can we agree that there are no addictions that are good? Even if someone is addicted to something like vegetables or to helping little old ladies walk across the street, they still represent a compulsiveness that tends to drive one's life much as habits that are clearly negative such as alcohol or drugs. Ideally, it is much better for us to be in-charge of our own lives rather than to have some "thing" be what drives our daily routine, actions and priorities. I say all this because I feel with the technological advancements in communication being made, one result is that many of us may becoming addicts without even realizing it.

What might I be addicted to, you might ask? Technically, nothing. (Pardon the pun.) But there are days when I feel as if I am close to becoming addicted to free cell, one of the many basic computer games like solitaire and bedazzled that are standard fare with all computers. Rarely does a day pass when I don't play multiple games of it. I find it fun, semi-challenging at times, and a nice distraction. I did not even know free cell existed until I got my first computer. Since then, I am guessing I have probably played close to 100,000 games. This suggests I need to be careful that this computer game is not or does not take over my life, especially when I am on the computer trying to work.

On a broader scale, from what I read, there are millions of people like me all over the world when it comes to computer games. During the course of our days we work hard - or try to - with one computer game or another serving as our companion. The games, as I see them, are largely harmless distractions. At the same time, their alure must not be taken lightly. They exist to lighten our days, not dominate them. There is nothing wrong with having diversion in our lives. Books, radio, television can and do fall under that umbrella and I certainly dabble in them all. But to my fellow computer game players, let us take a pledge not to let our fun with them get out of hand.

Tweet Power

There is currently a story making the news right now regarding South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. It all started with one tweet. In the tweet, sent out by a person named Logan Smith, it was reported that Governor Haley was about to be indicted by the department of justice for income tax related matters. Word spread quickly and faster than one can say "Chicken Little," credible news services, including the Washington Post, CBS and The New York Times, picked up the story. Representatives of the governor's office also quickly joined the fray by denying the story. It turns out there is no truth to what Smith supposedly reported.

Several thoughts come to mind about this. First of all, shame on Smith for being so irresponsible. If you are going to be a reporter, then you need to bend over backwards to make sure what you are reporting is accurate. (At least that is how it is supposed to work.) Even if Smith was not trying to be a reporter in this matter, then shame on him for spreading such a scurrilous rumor about another person as if it were fact. What he tweeted about Governor Haley was a lie. That is not acceptable in social circles, nor is it acceptable in any form of social media. My final thoughts revolve around the power of twitter itself.

Here we have an apparent little or unknown person tweet something about a public figure that I assume he does not like and seemingly instantly the entry is part of the national landscape. Never mind that it has not been confirmed or referenced. The fact the national media did not bother to check the credibility of the entry before they ran with it gives a negative glimpse as to where they are these days. Finally, this unfortunate incident shows how vulnerable all of us are to persons out to embarrass us or do us harm. We don't have to be public figures like Government Haley to be targets of such irresponsible meaness. Tweeter is a powerful media and must be treated with the highest respect by those who use it and those who draw from it.

When Values Collide

Perhaps the best thing about having and trying to live up to particular values is that it gives you a precise path to travel in life. For instance, if one's value is not to steal, then each day you know that is something you will not be doing. Or if another value is to extend kindnesses toward others, then that becomes something that you will try to make part of each of your days. It is pretty simple when you think about it. But what happens when values one has end up butting heads? What happens when circumstance put them in direct conflict with each other? It is times like that when life takes on greater complexity.

I am a member of the public relations team at a university. Recently, a pro-life organization had an event on campus that included very graphic displays of aborted fetuses. The photos, as one might guess, were unsettling and, to many, quite upsetting. Our office received numerous complaints about the displays and the enthusiasm of their supporters who were not shy about approaching students in giving out literature to further their cause. One interesting point that emerged from the many students with whom I talked about this is that while they recognized the organization's right to be heard, they still objected to the university's decision to allow them to do so.

Not surprisingly, the media began calling to do stories on the controversy the displays and the group triggered. My job was to talk with the press, field their questions and defend the university's decision but in a way that was sympathetic to the concerns expressed by students. The larger issue here was the organization's right to practice free of speech at our publicly-funded university versus the pro-choice leanings of many of our students. In talking with the press, I walked this fine line by reaffirming the university's commitment to free speech, yet being emotionally-appropriate when discussing the concerns of students and even employees. The issue, though now over, points to the fact that communication can be and often is far more complex than one may think.

Lines in the Sand

There are certain feelings that come out in me only when specific things happen. Yesterday I was filled with particular feelings of sadness, frustration and even anger that rear their ugly heads when I hear of another outbreak of multiple killings on a college campus. This time the campus was Oikos University in California and this time seven people were slaughtered by a lone gunman on a rampage. In this case, the gunman was apprehended by police and is being held in custody as of this writing. In past episodes, such as at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University, the shooter committed suicide.

Where do we as a nation go from here? My response is for state governments and even the federal government to make it more difficult for people to acquire guns. It seems pretty obvious that the more guns our system allows to be put in peoples' hands, the result will be more violence, not less. Of course, I understand my voice is not the one on the radar screen of persons who are in positions to pass and enforce laws that address the rising level of violence in our nation. The National Rifle Association by far tops the list of entities with loud and influential voices. In the name of peace they call for more people to arm themselves and then be given more latitude to use their firearms.

To me, this is about as good example of a mixed communication message as can be found. Whether it is the stand your ground law that currently exists in nearly half the states in our union or the proposed legislation being pushed by the NRA that would allow persons from states where carrying a gun openly is legal to do so in states where such a law does not exist, these positions represent acts of enabling that do the opposite of deterring violence within our country. Are we a nation of peace and less violence? If so, then it is time we begin communicating clear and consistent signals that remove any doubt.