3. Is your company clearly an expert in studying, confronting or solving this problem?

If answer is yes to all three questions, you have a solid candidate for a threat that you can tackle in news media.

To work as a news story, threat must be something that will worry average reader or viewer. To work as a news source, you or your company must present itself as an expert about problem.

Here’s a very important point to remember about “expert” factor: It’s not necessary for you to have an immediate solution to problem. In fact, it’s usually better that threat not have an immediate solution.

Here’s an example from recent history: “energy crisis” from summer of 2001. For weeks, national news was dominated by soaring prices at gas pump and by rolling electrical blackouts along West Coast.

Judging from intensity of coverage, one might have thought civilization was about to end. Behind scenes, federal government took action to increase supplies of both gasoline and electricity.

Prices fell. Blackouts ended.

Suddenly, story was no longer a story.

Is problem gone? Of course not. The United States remains far too dependent upon foreign oil. But immediate threat was solved, and news value was destroyed.

The threat remains news only as long as it remains a threat. A solution resolves on-going news story, and thus kills its news value.

However, as an expert, it is good for you to propose a solution that is:

1. Innovative. You identify a problem, then propose a solution that other experts are missing.

2. In works. You identify a problem, then propose a solution that is plausible, but that will require commitment from someone important – public, government, private sector, etc. – to develop and produce. If you can demonstrate that your company is taking lead in discovering this solution, that’s even better.

The PR Rainmaker knows: When you choose a controversy, make sure it’s one with a long shelf life.

Copyright 2003 by W.O. Cawley Jr.

Then came Watergate, which gave Woodward opportunity to apply all his well-honed, field-tested skills to dismantling Nixon administration.

This is how a suburban beat reporter becomes Bob Woodward.

So:

If a reporter tours your job site before a groundbreaking ceremony, and sees a laundry list of OSHA violations, expect violations to appear in story.

If a reporter visits your headquarters to profile your CEO, and happens to view a layoff order on an assistant’s desk, expect to see layoff reported in news media.

If a reporter attends a preview of your newest product, and comes across a consumer advocate who believes your product is a threat to public health, expect to see advocate’s comments prominently played in article.

The point of Cawley’s Theorem is not to make you fearful of news media. The point is to make you keenly aware that there is risk as well as reward in dealing with reporters.

You cannot control what reporter reports. You must deal with this basic truth. Your CEO must deal with it. Your entire company culture must deal with it.

Like rest of us, journalists are looking to advance in their careers. There’s no faster way to advance in journalism than by winning Pulitzer.

And you win Pulitzer with brass-knuckle reporting.

The PR Rainmaker always keeps in mind: The reporter is never your friend and is never looking out for your best interests.

Copyright 2003 by W.O. Cawley Jr.