A Parade of Horribles
Jennefer Witter, CEO/Founder, The Boreland Group Inc.
Anthony Scaramucci, the recently appointed White House Communications Director, went off on an eye-popping tirade to the New Yorker after a dinner he had with Donald and Melanie Trump and others was leaked to the press.
Among his more colorful comments:
—“I’m not Steve Bannon, I’m not trying to s*-k my own @#- k”
—“What I want to do is I want to f#*-ing kill all the leakers and I want to get the President’s agenda on track so we can succeed for the American people”
Well, now.
Scaramucci’s hiring led Sean Spicer, the former White House press secretary, to resign. Among Spicer’s more memorable moments was shouting at the White House press corps regarding the numbers at the 2017 presidential inauguration, claiming – incorrectly – that it was the largest crowd in the history of inaugurations. His daily briefings became must-see TV for all the wrong reasons, leading to the press secretary being witheringly mocked by “Saturday Night Live.” Spicer was recently replaced by Sarah Huckabee Sanders, whose curlique answers to straightforward questions and comments based on unsubstantiated facts often lead to many head-scratching moments.
A spoke spers on is a criti cal posit ion. It is not sexy. It is not fun. It can be highly stressful and pressure-filled. It takes a skilled professional to successfully juggle the demands of his superiors with the demands of the public’s need to know.
An ideal spokesperson is a blank slate – he is not the story; he communicates the story. He does not make news. An experienced spokesperson stays cool under fire; responds in a succinct, informed and articulate manner; and ensures that all communication efforts support and forward the primary objectives of his boss.
Here’s the hardest part of the job. The spokesperson must have the strength to stand up to his boss, to say that a directive, position or fact is wrong. He is not a ventriloquist’s dummy, with no control over what he says, simply mouthing words only when yanked by an invisible cord held by the ventriloquist. A spokesperson is hired for his expertise and the value he offers to the process. And standing up to his boss; staying true to his personal values; and upholding the tenets of the profession will earn him respect from his superiors and peers.
That’s not the case in the White House. Spicer’s reputation went down in flames at his very first briefing. For Sanders, her lack of full information on major policy announcements, i.e. the impromptu ban proposed by Trump on transgendered soldiers serving in the military, is woefully apparent. As for Scaramucci, he has an exceptional track record – in finance. He has no background, education or training as a communications director. His New Yorker tirade – which he thought was off the record – was appalling. It goes against everything a spokesperson should be. What makes it even worse is that he seems to have thought the conversation was off-the- record, a mistake that a trained professional would not have made.
The spokesperson position under the White House has become a joke. Spokespersons need to mitigate the damage by vigorously speaking out against those who are lowering the standards of the profession. Until then, the Scaramuccis, Spicers and Sanders of the world will continue to reign.
About the Author: Jennefer Witter is the CEO/Founder of The Boreland Group Inc (www.theborelandgroup.com), a New York City-based public relations agency. A 30+ year PR veteran, Witter is the author of “The Little Book of Big PR: 100+ Quick Tips to Get Your Small Business Noticed” (AMACOM). She is a judge for the SPOKIEies Award®, (www.commpro.biz/spokeies/) honoring the best in-house spokespeople.