Tough Times for Communicators

A few entries ago I alluded to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center that focused on the increasing level of polarization within the United States. Specifically, the study revealed that not only do people not want to talk with those who have different political and social beliefs, but they do not want to live near them either. Obviously, such a mind set makes the possibility of people living in greater harmony by focusing more on what they have in common a lot less remote. From a communication standpoint, the results of this survey were quite disturbing as they suggested people are not inclined to even interact with others they view to be "different."


If this survey was not worrisome enough, the Pew Research Center conducted another survey recently that only adds fuel to the fire. In this survey the American public was found to not trust or have confidence in the information shared with them by the government and businesses. The same survey also indicated the American public holds the media in low esteem as they see the workers of reporters being sloppy, inaccurate and irresponsible. Take together, the two surveys paint a very bleak picture of the current state of communication in America. It is no wonder, then, the average person is frustrated and simply wants to turn their back on any thing or one that does share their various perspectives.  


Given how things appear to be, the bottom line question revolves what steps need to be taken to begin reversing the negative path that so many individuals seem to be on? For starters, we need to look to those who are primarily responsible for providing much of the information to the general public. This includes journalists and public relations practitioners, two groups, based on the survey results, the people seems to have the least confidence in. These professional communicators must begin taking steps to restore their credibility with the very people they reach out to on a regular basis. Such an effort will not be easy. 

Crooked Lines

It was Euclid, the Greek mathematician also known as the father of geometry, who first put forth the notion that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Thousands of years after this pronouncement, what now may seem like a simple observation continues to hold up. To go from Point A to Point B, all one needs do is follow a direct route and they have reached their destination. Easy peezy. But while Euclid's observation may work in the world of math, beyond that there is a different reality. In my house, for example, I cannot walk directly from the living room to the kitchen without taking a detour around a couch and several chairs.   


With all due respect to Euclid, I am sure, playwright and poet Bertolt Brecht once observed, "The shortest line between two points can be a crooked line." Certainly when it comes to communication, this is much closer to reality, particularly if one defines communication as clear and understandable interaction between two or more people. This means it is not enough for one person to say something to another. The other needs to provide some type of  response that they have received the message as well as understood it. Doing that, of course, requires a similar response from the original sender. Thus, what began as a straight line has started taking on a few curves.  


Then there is the scenario that the original message is not understood. At that point you can kiss the straight line good-bye. Then, the message's sender needs to explain what they meant. This may elicit more confusion or questions from the receiver,  And what if the receiver ultimately disagrees with the original message? At this point, the straight line has become a full-blown wiggle worm. All this is to point out that communication is rarely, if ever, a straight line. It involves twists and turns, reversals, and stops and starts. Those occurrences are a regular feature when it comes to commonplace interactions between two people. As a result, one could not be blamed for even raising the question as to whether a straight line even exists.

Honor System

When it comes to work, everyone communicates. Even if that is not their primary job or function, they still spend a good deal of their time communicating with others. In fact, how good of a job they do is often determined by how well they communicate information to others. This reality is one more example of how ingrained communicate is in the fabric in our work world. There is no place it is not. But in this particular world, there are two fields whose focus is precisely communication: the media and public relations. They more than any other carry the responsibility of sharing information and attempting to create linkages between publics.


All of us rely heavily on these communication fields. After all, how to carry out our days, how we interact with others and how we view our surroundings, including the world itself, is largely based on the information, ideas, etc. made available to us by the media and public relations professions. To say the least, if these industries suddenly ceased to exist, then our world on multiple levels would quickly become darker and much more limited. The bottom line, then, is that both the media and public relations are vital to society. The better those in these professions do their jobs, the better the rest of us are served and society is able to function.


Given that, it is interesting that the media and public relations carry out their responsibilities largely under sets of guidelines or standards that are not legally binding in any way. Those in the media are asked to adhere to the Canons of Journalism that was adopted in 1923 by the American Society of Newspaper Editors. Public relations practitioners that belong to the Public Relations Society of America are expected to follow its Code of Ethics, most recently updated in 2000. While both documents call for adherence to such values as honesty, fairness and integrity, practitioners are free to do their jobs free of any legal fallout. In the eyes of their colleagues, they function under the honor system. With their fields being so significant and far-reaching, is simply appealing to their "inner angels" enough of a safeguard?   

Polarization

The entire United States seems to be in the middle of a mass communication problem. This is the primary result of a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center regarding where Americans are choosing to live and why. Apparently, "we the people" are so entrenched in our political biases and attitudes that not only do we not want to talk with those who look at the world differently, but we do not even want to live near them. For instance, the study found that people with a more liberal perspective tend to live in urban areas while those with a more conservative bent prefer living in more rural settings.


More to the point, the study also found the existence among citizens of a great degree of "ideological consistency" in which they are more entrenched in their political views than they were two decades ago. This has led to a widening of a partisan gap among both the people and the officials they elect to represent them. The unfortunate result is that with this gap has come a lack of meaningful interaction or dialog between persons who actually should be communicating. I speak not just of the members of Congress here but also us regular-folk as well. The day people stop talking is the day when the core foundation of their society begins to crumble. No one wants this to happen. 


The partisan gap must not be allowed to increase. Thus, the question becomes what to do about it. What can individual men and women as well as our elected representatives do to begin reversing this unhealthy trend? One step - a small one - in the right direction is for all of us to embrace the fact that differences of opinion are ok. Another is acknowledging the reality that we all have more in common than not. We should not give our differences any more power than they deserve. The fact is we all co-exist with a more positive attitude when we are focusing on our shared interests. This study by the Pew Research Center is a wake-up call. All of us need to dust off our communication skills and begin utilizing them to address our differences and shared interests. If not, the consequences could be quite severe.

Prep Sessions

I do not know any one who likes to be pot on the spot. Difficult or pointed questions are tough to content with, particularly if one has not formulated responses to them. Perhaps the only thing more off-putting is the person who is asking the questions. The really tough questions are the ones that do not provide the person to whom they are directed any wiggle room. They are direct and require a meaningful response as opposed to a shrug of the shoulders or a simple "yes" or "no." The tough questioners does not let the subject off the hook by allowing them to give short answers with little or no substance. 


Being this kind of questioner is one of the important roles of a public relations practitioner. While their job is to represent their client, there are times when the client him or herself needs to be the one in front of a camera or reporter with a notepad. When those situations do arise, their top communicator must do all they can to prepare their boss for challenging interactions with the press or public. If the boss is not used to being called up to explain or justify decisions they have made or even articulate his or her vision for their company or organization, these prep sessions can be difficult to the extent of being downright testy.


Obviously, no one likes to have unpleasant encounters with their boss. Yet this is part of the job for public relations professionals. Furthermore, it is not something they should avoid. Yes, they represent the boss and his/her organization. At the same time, they also represent the public, including members of the press, with which the big boss and the organization are trying to connect. During such times as challenging prep sessions, the public relations practitioner is represent both sides of the relationship. He or she should know what questions are on the minds of the public and then do all they can to make sure they are adequately addressed, even if it means standing up to the boss from time to time.

Story Ideas

One of the qualities of a good or effective media relations professional is that they always have with them story ideas to pitch to the media. Obviously, these ideas should pertain to their client or organization and be designed to showcase that which they represent in a positive light. A media relations worker without at least several ideas in their "back pocket" to pitch is not as good as they need to be. This means they need to be proactive in their thinking, always at the ready to present their client in a favorable light. Opportunities to do so are not as plentiful as one might think. That is why being ready is so important.  


Coupled with that readiness is wisdom; specifically the wisdom to know that not all good story ideas will see the light of day. In my years in public relations I worked closely with a number of reporters - print and electronic. Due to the nature of their jobs, each of these men and women were busy with little extra time to anything but what their jobs required. As a former reporter, I respected that. (And still do.) Not a day passes when a reporter is not under some degree of pressure to meet a deadline. Even though media relations workers have their own agendas, this is not something they should ever ignore in their interactions with the press.


It is those deadlines, in fact, that are one reason why not all story ideas - assuming they are good - are pursued by reporters. It is true the press is always interested in what they consider to be a good story. yet that idea must be in-sync with their interests, be timely, and be recognized as such by them as well as their editor. Thus, for a story idea to ultimately end up in print or on the air goes beyond how well it is pitched to the reporter. The story pitch is only one part of the process. But for that process to even begin, there must be an initial idea. And if that idea does not exist, then how can a public relations professional expect to generate favorable coverage for their client?    

Today's Media Relations Workers

One of the important aspects of public relations is being able to work with the press. Helping them connect with sources, arranging interviews, fielding their questions, and providing them background information are key components of what the media relations worker does. While an organization's top public relations officer certainly interacts with reporters, it is the media relations professional that works most closely with the press. This is no small thing, of course, as how effective of a job this person does often determines the kind of public image or reputation their organization has. Without question, the attitude reporters have toward an organization is influenced by the relationship they have with its media liaison.


I am not certain media relations workers of today are as effective as they used to be. I do not base this perception on any tangible evidence. Instead, I base it more on the background of those who are entering into the public relations profession these days. In the beginning days of public relations, the greater majority of those working in the field were former journalists. As they had proven skills in communication, organizations and businesses turned to these men and women to oversee their public relations efforts. Two of the strengths they brought with them were a thorough knowledge of the press as well as an affinity for what reporters were interested in and what they had to do to compile and produce stories for their respective newspaper or television station.


Nowadays, the majority of those working in media relations are not coming from the press. Instead, they are coming from college or university-level public relations programs. As a result, while these newly-minted professionals may have a certain level of knowledge of the press, what they lack is the hands-on intellectual and emotional connection with reporters their predecessors had. Consequently, the ties between media relations workers and reporters is not nearly as strong as it used to be. Perhaps one step colleges and universities can do to address this dynamic is to have their communication students take internships with local media outlets. Such an experience would give these future media relations workers a valuable tool from which to draw when they begin working with the press.   

"Learn to Move"

Though his may not be a household name, one thing you can say acknowledge about entertainer Jim Dale is the fact he remains active in a field of which he has been part for over 60 years. Presently, Dale is nearly 80 years of age and is starring in a one-many show in New York. In a recent interview, he said one of the best pieces of advice he ever received about getting into the entertainment profession is that he must "learn to move." In a career that has called upon him to perform serious drama, comedic pratfalls, musical numbers and voice-work, without question this advice has served him well. Dale was wise to follow it. 


Those considering a career in communication would be doing themselves a big favor if they, too, took this suggestion to heart. Every day of our lives we contend with one communication opportunity/challenge after another. Some are ones we have planned while others are not. None are the same. The many variables that comprise our encounters with others see to that. As individuals, our moods, thoughts and priorities are constantly shifting. Consequently, we must be on our intellectual "toes" if we are to come even close to helping ensure our interactions are effective or, at the very least, smooth.


Representing others, as professional communicators often do, demands even a higher level of flexibility. Perhaps a situation arises where a statement is needed. But what should be the message's tone? Should it be forceful, sympathetic, informative or apologetic - to name a few? In these instances, the communicator needs to be prepared to exhibit any one of these sentiments. Without having such an ability to move or be flexible, then they are neither capable of representing a client, but themselves as well. The question then becomes: how does one gain such an ability to be flexible? In his case, Dale in part, took dance classes. For those looking to become professional communicators, one place to start is learning to view the world through the eyes of others.  

Long Distance Relationships

Lets of people these days struggle with the challenge of maintaining a strong connection with another who is located a long distance away. The two are unable to spend physical-time together because of the distance. What they do, then, is to take advantage of the communication tools available to come as close as they can to actually being with each other. Granted, while none are as a good as in-person interaction, they do help ease whatever frustration or sadness each might feel during their time of separation. Nevertheless, distance between two people or entities does create special communication challenges.


Perhaps the best part of  being with another is that it helps erase questions you might have about the other person. For instance, is the person having a good day? Are they in a good mood? Are they troubled? By actually experiencing their behavior, it is much easier to determine whether there is more on the other person's mind than just what they say. Communicating only via Skype, telephone, email or texting, or letter (Does anyone write letters any more?), it is for that other person to cover up true feelings they might be having. Thus, assuming two people are committed to eventually being together, they must work hard at being more open with each other than they are normally when together.


Openness is not as easy as it might sound when two people are separated by a long distance. To ensure this key element to any relationship remains in-tact, both parties must raise the bar in terms of how well they listen to the other, remember what the other has said, and asking questions to elicit more information from the other. Our relationships are about making ourselves happier, in part, by focusing on our prospective partner. If both players do their part when communicating with each other, then the barrier of long distance becomes much less formidable.