Words Matter: Arnett's Baghdad Boo-Boo

WASHINGTON, April 9 (UPI) -- Anywhere in the world. Peter Arnett, recently fired from NBC for giving an interview to Iraqi TV, has provided a lesson in media relations in today's global society.

The facts were not in dispute. Arnett, working for NBC and National Geographic Explorer, was reporting from Baghdad. As veteran newsman Walter Cronkite wrote in the New York Times, "A reporter is only as good as his sources," Arnett had good sources in Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's ranks. Again, quoting Cronkite, Arnett did the interview, "to curry favor," and praised the Iraqi regime for allowing him freedom. He criticized the Bush Administration and opined that he thought American public opinion would turn against the war. He also noted that he was not surprised by the fierce resistance, adding that he had predicted this, but that the Bush Administration didn't listen to him.

What lessons can the rest of us learn from this? First, communication has gone global just like the rest of the economy, and a related lesson, there are many audiences, and they can hear things differently. Arnett made his comments apparently impromptu to an Iraqi reporter. He clearly was thinking only of impressing his sources with his willingness to see things their way. But his comments were heard in the United States within minutes of being aired in Iraq.

Perhaps not within minutes, but comments made in one locale can have a significant impact elsewhere. A sales person in Brazil who worked for one of our clients, one of the world's largest, most respected companies, said in a speech to a local marketing organization that they expected to increase market share. He was actually referring to a narrow, specific product and to certain market segments in Brazil. The wire copy repeated the "increase market share" comment which, within a day, had circulated worldwide. It didn't make the front page, but enough people saw it to have an influence on the stock price. That's a recipe for a Securities Exchange Commission investigation and shareholder litigation.

Next, a competitor will pounce on your mistakes. Fox News played the Arnett story over and over. Quebec Premier Bernard Landry was discussing poverty and hunger and commented that women who could not feed their own children were "less than birdbrains." Reporters were quickly tipped off, and opposition party leaders were only too happy to jump in, "He said what?" Three weeks later, Landry was speaking to a business group and was asked again whether he had offended women. When he replied, "Don't talk to me about women," adding he'd rather talk to the president of a life insurance company, his opponents cheerfully repeated that comment.

Third, you don't have a personal opinion. Premier Landry represented the Parti Quebecois. Arnett represented NBC. Companies need to learn this lesson and teach their employees. McDonald's is being sued by a woman whose face has thickened skin and a huge purple port wine birthmark. A manager allegedly told her she wouldn't be promoted because she would scare children.

Fourth, the presence of a television camera guarantees everlasting life. Arnett, of all people, should have known that something electronically recorded would be re-played. Interviews with the CEO of Exxon during the Valdez oil spill are still being replayed as is President Ronald Reagan's 'mike check' before one of his Saturday radio broadcasts in 1984 where he jokingly said, "We begin bombing" -- the Soviets -- "in five minutes." A corollary to this is that anytime a camera is around, it's real television. In Arnett's case, it was real television, even in Iraq! And we could see and hear him. And he sounded very critical and arrogant. The lesson here for business is that corporate television and videotaped depositions need to be viewed as real television, too.

Perhaps the final lessons are more ambiguous. We live in a celebrity age. Arnett had turned himself into a controversial celebrity. As such, anything he says is fair game. The Dixie Chicks just learned this when lead singer, Natalie Maines told the audience at a performance, "We're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas." Within hours, that comment was being replayed, and fans made it clear they were ashamed of the Chicks. Despite an apology from the group, stations and fans around the country are boycotting their songs. One of the perverse aspects of celebrity is that missteps can ultimately bring more celebrity. Arnett was hired within hours by one of London's leading tabloids. Other journalists may sniff that he is lowering his journalistic standards, but he certainly raised his market value.

Perhaps if Marshall McLuhan were alive today, in addition to saying, "The medium is the message," he's add, "The message is the media."

(Merrie Spaeth, Director of Media Relations for President Reagan, is president of a Dallas-based consulting firm and is a regular commentator on public radio and television.)