Just Own Your Actions
While I was occupied this week with SQ’s family, I did not have Internet connectivity (not to be confused with pisstivity) so the limited access I had following news from around our great state was the Blackberry.
I think it would be remiss of me not to mention a couple of things because despite not having a computer, I did follow the Sen. Roy Herron melodrama on that goofy phone. First of all, let’s be clear. I’m not for anyone for governor thus far. It’s too damned long until the primary and you never know when a gaffe-a-rama is going to happen.
I got a couple of emails asking me why I hadn’t spoken out about Herron’s vote and then about what Sean and Ilissa found out.
Umm, funeral, people.
I think there is a huge lesson here for all politicians and that is simple. New media isn’t old media (I know I’m being Captain Obvious here.) A news cycle is nothing like it was even ten years ago. And passionate people are paying attention. Spin just doesn’t work like it used to. Roy, and anyone for that matter in elected office or seeking one of those posts, are going to have their feet held to the fire. And, they are going to have to take some heat from folks that are watching them.
They should have their feet to the fire, quite frankly.
And this is where I say that Jim Voorhies said it best yesterday on managing and controlling your online life. I posted this at NewsTechZilla too but it’s such good advice and needs repeating.
Third, be a player in your own Internet life. You (or your best and brightest communications people) have to be involved and you have to be honest. You have to be willing to say “we screwed up for you and I apologize.” Use the medium by responding in the same place where you got slammed. Do not try to bull your way out. You have to be sincere, you have to be honest and you have to look at this as a new way, a new time, and a new forum for you to provide added value for your company or your product. (If you’re a politician, you’re the product.)
I can’t speak for any of the candidates, but I do see some democratic gubernatorial candidates controlling their message and engaging people right now in Tennessee. Ward Cammack is doing it as is Kim McMillan. Rep. Mike Turner responds even to negative responses which I think is good.
You see, if you own it, people move on. They won’t forget but they move on. And because of that pesky news cycle I mentioned above, information of this nature means that online media management is crucial. It doesn’t change Roy’s committee vote or the vote/confusion on the floor of the state senate, but the one thing any company (or politician) doesn’t want is to appear out of control.
(Ahem.)
Bloggers are 24/7 letters to the editor that aren’t in a news cycle. And bloggers are also talking about things that newspapers/tv stations aren’t covering necessarily. They blog because they are passionate about an issue be it bad television, their communities or politics.They ARE paying attention.
Just saying.
“I think there is a huge lesson here for all politicians and that is simple. New media isn’t old media (I know I’m being Captain Obvious here.) A news cycle is nothing like it was even ten years ago. And passionate people are paying attention. Spin just doesn’t work like it used to. Roy, and anyone for that matter in elected office or seeking one of those posts, are going to have their feet held to the fire. And, they are going to have to take some heat from folks that are watching them.”
There it is there.
You really aced that one, lady.
The people realize that we must take a no-stone-unturned approach to politicians, regardless of their political affiliation and regardless of the words they speak.
We’ve had it with being lied to and pandered to then thrown to the wolves.
We’re watching and listening. Some of us even see and hear what we would rather not see and hear. Some of us even accept the realities that we discover.
Thanx, T. Hope you’re well.
And because nothing ever really goes away on the internet, once something is found, the Google can always re-find it.
“nothing ever really goes away on the internet”
That statement is far more profound than most would think.
That’s the beauty of it, my friend.
Politicians, or the next generations of them actually, will know that they can no longer lie freely and often as those we have now have done and still do.
Our present leaders do not yet get it. Every word, every action, every lie is recorded to the electronic record and we, those who blog, are the custodians of that record.
That record will help to ensure that our future generations are less likely to be lied to and abused by political entities with misguided ambitions.
Sure, I’m viciously partisan. Most Borderline-Militant Socialists are.
But even the great Dennis Kucinich or Howard Dean would not escape my derision if they were to misrepresent themselves intentionally.
I don’t care what party or view. If they’re full of shit they’re full of shit.
And the world needs to know if they are.