In the introduction to a short manual I wrote called “Responding To Media Queries” I write that there is one basic assumption to make: “Bad news happens to anyone. It is just a matter of when, not if.”
Even if you are honest and always operate with the best of intentions, at some time you may unexpectedly find yourself in the limelight of negative publicity.
But bad news certainly happens more when we say the most thoughtless things in the spur of the moment.
Corporate Governance and Traditional Affairs David “Des” van Rooyen is in the middle of a media crisis because in a moment of trying to deflect a difficult situation, he said the most incredible thing. See picture.
Asked by Xolani Gwala of Talk Radio 702 about his trip to Dubai last year, Van Rooyen first said his one day trip was for holiday and then later, feeling cornered by the interviewer, he then changed his answer to “personal business”.
You have to be living in Mars not to know how Van Rooyen has become the butt of jokes about this. In fact, there is a possibility that this has reached Mars by now.
Social media remains abuzz about this faux pas. I have even seen people post pictures about their “one-day” trips to Dubai.
There can never be a debate that Van Rooyen put his foot in it. His response opened him up to all sorts of accusations, the loudest of which being that “he is lying” or “he is hiding something”.
One thing clear is that the minister was not ready for this interview. He did not know what was coming his way. And no doubt, he did not have the faculty to handle the curve ball thrown at him by the interviewer.
With his back against the wall, he obfuscated, he contradicted himself, he waffled, and by the look of things, he lied.
In my manual, I add… Inevitably, when faced with the simplest situations, most people dig themselves into a much bigger hole than the once they first were faced with. And once they have dug the hole, and closed it themselves, leaving only their heads out, they start attacking the media. “They have an agenda”, “they hate democracy”, “they are bought”, “they are uneducated”, “they are racist” and many other accusations which are as good as someone blaming the dog for barking.
I do not know why Van Rooyen went to Dubai. Until the interview I would have even added I do not care why he did. But I am none the wiser even after the interview. In fact, I like everyone else, I am left with more questions than answers.
It was a simple question. It was the answer that complicated it.
The problem here and in many other cases with people who deal with media queries is that they always see accusations in media queries. And instead of responding, they defend. And there is a big difference.
Responses need not solve the problem. Sometimes all the response you need to give is “I do not want to talk about it” or “Can I come back to you on that matter” or “It is a personal matter and I don’t want to talk about it in the media”.
Of course a good journalist will press for answers. A clever journalist will even walk away from the question and minutes later rephrase the same question camouflaged as something else.
A good communicator or someone well trained in communication, would also stick to their answer no matter how many times the question is asked, repeated or paraphrased.
When you are not prepared you are most likely to obfuscate, contradicted yourself, waffle, and more likely than not, lie.
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