Defending Good Science

February 3, 2003

The Horrible has happened… again. Now what?

The world watched in shock as the horrible news came in over CNN – the world has lost another Space Shuttle. Man’s never-ending quest to reach further into the unknown was given a blunt reality check. As viewers, we could do nothing but watch in horror, and wish God’s blessings on the family and friends of seven brave astronauts.

Interestingly, while recent events are shocking, they haven’t rocked Western culture like the 1986 Challenger explosion. Other stories shared the front page in the days after, Sunday sermons weren’t dedicated to mourning, and general media sentiment seems subdued. But why?

By coincidence, this newsletter covered some of the problems which surrounded the earlier explosion just two months ago, in the December newsletter. So what’s different this time?

This is hardly an exhaustive review, but public and media reaction is subdued this time for a number of reasons.

1. NASA learned to communicate
The Columbia broke up at approximately 9am EDT. NASA didn’t get Administrator Sean O’Keefe on the air until 1:15pm – but this time they made several stand-by statements. Either NASA or other US Government officials were quick to confirm the news, discard terrorism as a possible cause, and warn the public to avoid debris. In a crisis, communicate early and communicate often.

2. The visuals are less hurtful
While everyone has seen the pictures of the debris as it streaked across the Texas sky, the visual impact has been far less jarring this time around. Unlike the Challenger explosion, there is no ‘defining moment.’ We’ve been spared the emotional slap of actually witnessing a recognizable, symbolic icon explode. If at all possible, manage the non-verbals, or the visual images. Words communicate fact – images communicate emotion.

3. The public is hardened
It’s a sad, but accurate reflection of current attitudes, but Americans are used to picking up the pieces of their icons, and moving on. While the Challenger explosion may be remembered as one of the top stories of the 1980’s, the Columbia disaster will pale in comparison to the horrific events of 9-11, only 16 months earlier.

Furthermore, NASA has already proven itself fallable – a notion which was unthinkable in 1986 – and as a result, has lost a lot of their ‘iconic’ status. After the Challenger explosion, the public lost faith in NASA’s ability to ‘do the impossible.’ The botched handling of the Challenger explosion led to an era of decreasing budgets, congressional investigations, and now, public questioning over the very need for a space program. Other projects, such as scientific experiments or even the future of the International Space Station, are now in jeopardy.

In essence - companies in a position of leadership have a societal responsibility to ‘be the best, but prepare for the worst.’ By not having a comprehensive crisis communications plan in place, you place not only your company, but your particular industry in peril. You owe it to yourself, and you owe it to those around you, to be the best in good times and in bad.

In the meantime, the world mourns, and our hearts go out to the families of those who died while ‘touching the face of God.’

Checkmate Link of the Month

The Centre for Media and Democracy. In their words, “We specialize in blowing the lid off today's multi-billion dollar propaganda-for-hire industry, naming names and revealing how public relations wizards concoct and spin the news, organize phony 'grassroots' front groups, spy on citizens, and conspire with lobbyists and politicians to thwart democracy.”

Why would I highlight them? Simple – I don’t believe in spinning. It’s not about who can lie better than the other guy – it’s about telling the truth in an effort to then build trust and credibility, not the other way around. If you think you can ‘spin’ your way out of your next crisis, check this site out.

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