Knowing Where to Fight Your Fights
| August 11, 2010
Recently in our town, two well known and well respected non-profit organizations that for years have worked well together are now having a bit of a spat. And rather than talk face to face in a quiet space, they’ve chosen to fight it in public. One volley requires a return. The return volley sparks an avalanche of return fire. The media picks up on it and is turning it into a field day. And where cooler heads could have prevailed in finding an amicable solution out of the spotlight, now we see a media circus unfolding.
In an era where media is looking for juicy content that sometimes make classic Jerry Springer episodes look positively G-rated, PR counselors are justified in suggesting that quiet diplomacy may be the best course of action. Turning down the heat is often a smart and better alternative than fighting your fights in public. Unless you want to star in a cable reality show.
