Beyond the hype it was great to finally meet Tina Brown – she’s stunningly presented in smart streamlined beige linen dress with fawn leather jacket. I introduced myself and was met with graciousness. Her remarks followed a delicious dinner in the open air courtyard at San Juan Capistrano Mission.
Even the sharpest at media needs to follow professional advice. Diana’s explosive interview with the BBC was done against the advice of her press relations professionals. It cut off all relations with the Palace, including policeprotection.
Always cautious with the chimera of the transformative interview – someone out there is waiting to hear the story from your perspective. The seduction usually starts with a well targeted letter – I know because I’ve written dozens of them. Bob Woodward is master and has written many to reach the weak point.
The BBC interview was to focus on the Princess’ love of children. The more you trust someone the more likely you are to say something off your guard. “I think of the media as a great beast that never sleeps,” said Brown. “As night follows day emails will surface years later.” See www.TheSmokingGun.com.
A lot of this dialogue is pretty mean spirited. “It’s like being in a Korean prison camp and you never know when they’re going to wake you up and beat your feet,” said an CBS executive when describing the Don Imus imbroglio. Their biggest mistake was waiting to long to respond. “In the era of the great beast that never sleeps the response needs to be instant,” said Brown.
“I’ve always believed in the power of exciting events,” said Brown. I convinced the ‘Powers That Be’ to hold a series of philanthropic events – and the first success was the Phoenix House event in Hollywood. Key: Invite writers along with marketing to showcase the talent of the magazine. And today every Conde Naste publication undertakes these events – and the Vanity Fair Oscar Party is now an institution.
With all the successes, how to remake the magazine? Annie Liebowitz’ photograph of Demi Moore was the best way to show the rejection of the glitz and jewelry of the decadent 1980s. In 1992 my challenge was to open up The New Yorker – the offices had all closed doors. There was a lot of fear – the hardcore saw me as the anti-Christ. Here’s an editor who put a naked Demi Moore on the cover!
I let go 75 and hired another 45. Few in the industry knew the numbers – we dealt with the hard core in a sensitive way on an individual level. I spoke with each person three times so they could move on with dignity. Tina hired a number of key writers and started a Los Angeles bureau – not just to sell advertising but to build a profile and develop a network. Lillian Ross, John Updike…and many other writers continue to flourish.
At Talk I walked right into a trap – the promotion of myself as a name to help make the magazine succeed. “Never give an opening party that’s better than the movie,” said Brown. The hostility to the media is astounding. Look at Profile magazine or the hard times given to Katie Couric at CBS News. A communications strategy needs to be diversified and sophisticated – use the blogosphere, and other micro-sources to fight the traditional media.
In Washington,
Internal PR is as important as external. At The New Yorker we had kids – or grandkids – to the offices for a Christmas event. Sour old writers came out to drink eggnog to watch Santa hand out presents. You can run but you can’t hide. “You can’t go into ostrich mode.”
When a crisis hits it’s the person at the head of the company the public wants to see. In America companies need to have a public face. Most CEOs are not that gifted – so think brevity, brevity, brevity and close with a witty line.
The Communications Director must have a seat at the top table. Most PR disasters happen because executives don’t have a communications professional at the table – they need to be involved in the decision-making. Finally the upside of the difficult new media climate – it conveys a core value: Never do anything that you wouldn’t want to see made public.
What’s next? “I’m thinking of what to do next. Maybe a web idea, maybe another book – I’m cruising for a little bit now.”
“You learn more from the things that don’t go well,” said Brown when asked about crisis management. Getting the right team is agony and arduous. “I’m very much a whirling dervish” and am supported by good managers. “When you have success you assume the things that made you successful will always be there.”
What is the USA’s image abroad? “America is in a very bad PR condition everywhere. But people have this great sense that
If you’d advised Diana? “Diana’s problem was she was a good tactician but not a good strategist. By the end of her life her public work was at her best – but her private life always drew her back. The BBC interview was all emotion – feeling discarded, feeling angry and wanting to get back at Charles. She wanted to retaliate and didn’t think beyond that. She was in a good position and could have maintained a civil relationship with the Queen. Once she went on BBC she was cut off completely – wthin hours the Queen sent a letter saying, ‘You must be divorced.’
Difference between American or British media? American media the blogosphere is much more powerful. England is still a newspaper culture. The newspaper is much more destructive. England is a much harder place to be a public figure. American media is not as creative as the British media – far more lively, versatile, flair. “I think American newspapers are dieing…they sit there like dead whales.”
Juggling motherhood and career? It was difficult but you just muddle on. At The New Yorker I appointed all women editors. We all went home at 6:00 pm but then we all went on-line at 11:00 pm and the lines went hot until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. A great sense of women helping each other. I don’t demand staff working at the desk so long as the work is done.
Thoughts about Mr, Murdoch and a new magazine for The WSJ? I think that’s a great idea. “Mr. Murdoch has a lot of flair and if that was aligned to any morality that would be great,” said Brown. It’s been a dull time for magazines – I think this is a great idea.
Views on Katie Couric – will she prevail? Of course I identify with Katie and think she’s in her talk mode (re the interview in The New Yorker). She felt because she’d done something else in a different structure. Everything is against her in this situation. “No one under 72 makes and appointment to watch the evening news.” CBS is trying to hold on to the concept of “appointment news.” What works for the evening news is the “voice of god” guy who you don’t register with as a personality. She is in a battle that she cannot win. “It’s just the wrong gig.”
Views on women in politics, Hillary and the coverage of her. “I think Hillary is doing superbly well,” said Brown. “She just stands there in that purpose-built pants suit. She’s like a truck – nothing can knock her down. It doesn’t matter what the media say because she’s Tungsten. Short of soliciting someone in a public bathroom…’I’m a wide kind of woman’…she’s indefatigable.”
To laughs and applause Tina left for a red eye flight to New York where she’ll give a luncheon address at The Phoenix House.
