We are all professionals. As professionals there is one cardinal rule of talking to the media (or if you ask my grandma, anyone): never lie. Don’t outright lie. Don’t tell a half truth. Don’t try to be cute. Don’t parse the truth.
Don’t lie.
All that does is make your audience mad and make them trust you less. And if you are lying to reporters, lying makes them dig deeper. Do you remember the old adage, don’t pick fights with people that buy ink by the barrel? In modern times, it’s the barrel + a good X following.
It seems that the folks at Nvidia, a darling of the semiconductor industry and Wall Street, forgot that rule when Bloomberg reported that the US Department of Justice subpoenaed the chipmaker as part of an antitrust investigation.
The problems arose when Nvidia denied getting a subpoena instead saying “We have inquired with the US Department of Justice and have not been subpoenaed.” Bloomberg came back with the nice, professional way of saying um, nope.
So now, everyone is talking about not only the subpoena but the fact Nvidia hid the truth. Its stock price is falling and the DOJ is moving forward full speed ahead – the very definition of a no good, very bad day.
Now let’s be clear, telling your side of the story in the way you see it is not lying. It’s the job of your communications department. What’s not their job is saying “well, it’s really powder blue,” when a reporter asks you if the sky is blue.
If the truth is so bad or confidential that you can’t be truthful, don’t return the call. A “our call wasn’t returned” or “they didn’t comment” is forgettable. Trying to walk back a lie is the opposite – very memorable.
So, if your comms team is recommending you not tell the truth, fire them. If it’s your legal department not telling the comms department the facts, same.
This is your reputation and your reputation has value. 25 percent of your overall value actually. Don’t risk it.
Kith facilitates crisis preparedness workshops that will help your company attain the clarity, trust, and speed you need to respond confidently – no dithering! – to any crisis. We’d be happy to have a conversation about how we can help your company be ready to chart an effective course to reputation protection.
