Journalists are like elk hunters

I am currently at the StockholmMediaWeek event, listening to a panel debate about people who get caught in the media meat grinder. Former State Secretary Lars Danielsson is perhaps one of the Swedes who have been hurt the most in recent years after he was blamed with being the main person behind the Swedish government’s poor handling of the Asian tsunami disaster. On the stage beside Danielsson is also two experienced media consultants, Bo Krogvig of Springtime and my former colleague Paul Ronge.

Lars Danielsson

Some of the more memorable advice and quotes regarding crisis management:

– PR: As long as a question remains unanswered, media will continue to dig.

– PR: compares journalists with elk hunters, they don’t hate the elk, but they don’t have very much sympathy for the dead elk either. In other words, trying to play on the journalist’s empathy for the “victim” will get you nowhere (my interpretation).

– BK: The part that is first with the truth wins.

Bo Krogvig and Paul Ronge

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