Oprah's Announcement is a Great Lesson in PR

January 24, 2011 -- Oprah Winfrey dropped a bombshell on her audience today when she announced that she had a half-sister of whom she had no previous knowledge. Depending on your viewpoint (or the level of your cynicism), this was either a classic TV moment or a classic Oprah moment: a dramatic reveal, lots of tears, getting to know the sister named Pat, and much time spent on the background of this event.
However, I come at it a different way. I propose that this event is a perfect example of good public relations, such as Oprah and her team have practiced so expertly in the past. Mainly, it supports the notion that a person or organization often should disclose developments or news proactively in order to maintain control of it. Winfrey said as much at the top of the program. She said that she was revealing the news proactively because she and her family wanted to do it on their terms. Based on my own experience, I believe that this was an extremely wise decision.
"I'm telling you today because once the blogs and all the media get hold of this news, there is no telling what they will do with it," Winfrey said. Her strategy aligns with my own, based on my own duties as a media or communications leader. I have often advised my customers and employers that, just as there is no such thing as a perfect vacuum in nature, neither is there one in news. When a story breaks and there is a shortage of information, people will fill it however they can, whether with innuendo, unsubstantiated sources or even misinformation. At that point, you have lost control of your message, and you are now playing catch up. This problem is exacerbated with the social media, where anyone with a Twitter account can send an erroneous message around the world.
Unlike Winfrey, Jay Cutler, quarterback of the Chicago Bears, has allowed such a lack of control to victimize him. He left yesterday's NFC championship game complaining of a knee injury. But many observed that he seemed to be walking with no apparent pain. It was also observed that he was disengaged from the game, not even advising or interacting with his back-up quarterbacks.
Sports talk radio is now abuzz with conjecture about his "heart," his ability to play big in a big game. Some time soon, an examination of his knee will be made public, and if he does not have a major injury, he will be pilloried both in the Chicago media and across the nation.
Oh, I'm sorry, too late, Jay -- That has already happened. Now you are points behind in your PR game and little time left to fill the gap. Is that a familiar feeling?
When many public officials and other figures were caught doing something they should not have, we have often used this term afterward: "The cover-up is worse than the crime." It is an oft-told tale, yet the large majority of people do not learn from it. Maybe this time, the lesson from Oprah will take.