Views on Reputation/LawFirmsPR.com

"We're So Sorry If We Caused You Any Pain": Kanye, Joe Wlson and Serena

Even Uncle Albert would have been amazed at how many public apologies were necessary the past few weeks. 

It's good to make a public apology when you are a celebrity or politician. This is particularly true when you yank a microphone out of another performer's hand at the MTV Awards, berate a line judge at the U.S. Open or even call the President of the United States a liar during a Joint Session of Congress.

But if the apology is half-baked or insincere, why bother? And why bother making a public apology one day if the next day you visit another media outlet and try to justify the classless behavior that all but wipes out the initial goodwill gesture?

If a celebrity or anyone else concerned with their professional reputation makes a mistake, of course it's critical to make an immediate, heartfelt apology. But the key to restoring reputation is to be consistent in all subsequent apologies, unlike some of what we've seen lately.

And the words must be backed up by a series of sincere and consistent actions that show humility and goodwill. That's more important than ever in the instant news cycles driven by the Twitters and Facebooks of the world. 

Most of us judge mistakes in the context of past behavior and how much the offense offends us. For example, Serena Williams has enjoyed a pretty solid reputation for many years on the tennis circuit. But her outburst literally in the face of the much smaller line judge  --who probably makes in a year what Serena makes in a minute --could have a long term impact on the Serena brand because the video makes her look like a bully and the judge looked scared for her safety.

Despite a rebuke by Congress, Joe Wilson is getting a pass in some circles because his comments allowed Republicans and their supporters to score political points against the Obama Administration on the most important issue of the day: healthcare.  Wilson may be popular now but I believe he can never run for higher office as long as their is video of him saying, "You Lie."  Just look at what happened to Howard Dean whose Presidential campaign ended abruptly in 2004 when video showed him in a wild scream of joy in Iowa. He didn't offend anyone in particular except that he didn't look Presidential: game over.

Kanye West seems to have a track record of offending others in the music business. But fiery talk has long been part of rap music's culture, so it will be interesting to see if he can bounce back from his insult of Taylor Swift. It was reported tonight that he apologized to Ms. Swift in a phone call and that she accepted. That's a start. 

Sorry isn't always the hardest word but the actions that follow the apology sometimes are. 

In short, you need to do BOTH to protect or rebuild your professional reputation, whether you are a celebrity or anyone who holds a leadership position today.

FEMA Press Stunt Disgraceful & Plotters Should Be Fired

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which had built goodwill with its rapid response to the California wildfires, disgraced itself with its fake news conference and hurt those of us in the PR business who are committed to ethical behavior in all our dealings with the media.

The brilliant idea to have government employees pose as accredited reporters -- and basically locking out real reporters --  is an affront to the media and to those of us in public relations who advocate for transparency and honesty when communicating in a crisis. Journalists will now likely never trust anything FEMA says and those responsible for the fiasco should all be fired. But if FEMA fails to replace those responsible, then it will never be trusted again by the media and the public. 

This is one of many examples of the Bush Administration bypassing the media with dishonest messages and taking them directly to the public. Guess this time the Mission wasn't Accomplished. Heck of a job, FEMA, heck of a job.

"Kramer" Should Talk to Oprah and Barak, Not Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson

One can't condemn Mel Gibson and not Michael Richards. Tragically, it seems that these men have deep-rooted hate -- one for Jews, the other for Blacks. Frankly, I'm tired of the excuses: "It was the liquor" or "It was the hecklers".

Jerry Seinfeld, a Jew from my hometown of Massapequa, NY, would do well to distance himself from the Michael Richards mess or risk his own reputation. His heart was certainly in the right place by arranging for "Kramer" to appear on David Letterman.

But the public needs to know that both Gibson and Richards have done the hard personal work necessary to rid themselves of their bigoted rage before beginning to forgive. Public apologies are a good start. Now let's see if either or both of these men are capable of true, lasting change.

UPDATE: We just learned that Michael Richards reached out to Howard Rubenstein, who in turn, arranged a phone call with Rev. Al Sharpton. -- and later the Rev. Jesse Jackson. There's only one problem: Mr. Sharpton, himself, has made anti-Semitic comments, helped to incite the Crown Heights riots that led to the death of Yankel Rosenbaum, and was part of the Tawana Brawley rape hoax during the 1980s. Jackson once called New York "Hymietown" and also said he was sick of hearing about the Holocaust. It is simply misguided to think that Sharpton or Jackson represent the best of African-American leaders.

Michael Richards' long road to forgiveness would be better served by speaking with Barak Obama or Oprah Winfrey, who have the respect of most African Americans and who do not have bigoted backgrounds. Richards should then make a multimillion donation to the United States National Slavery Museum.