BIG spin
Beware of the major beneficiaries of the recession, credit crunch or market place realignment or whatever you want to call it. Yes, you are right, it is the news media.
With 24 hours news reporting on TV and the intense competition of newspapers, journalists have to find copy to fill their editors’ insatiable appetite.
For all of us no news is good news. For the news media it is BIG trouble. So the news journalists are pressurised to find stories or items that will also satisfy the public’s insatiable appetite for the negative. As we all know the standards of newspapers are deteriorating and this is emphasised by the propensity of the overuse of the words catastrophe, disaster and calamity with all of the adjectives that can go with those words. It seems that the majority of the British public, (Brits…no offence caused, I hope) thrive on the negative. There is nothing like a disaster (9/11) to sell newspapers or get people tuning into the TV news.
Do we really want a recession, credit crunch etc. No of course not. But nevertheless there is a fascination with big companies going into bankruptcy or thousands of people losing their jobs.
Today’s journalists have learned the art of spin from some excellent teachers. It really is not too difficult to make no news into big news with a bit of a spin or the right inflection in the voice. May I suggest that you try just for one week to resist buying a newspaper. Switch off the radio news and don’t tune into the TV news…you will survive. Then buy The Week Magazine because the stale news will keep you informed but will hopefully preserve your sanity.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:11 pm
You are so right Richard.
I get approached from the media every other day for my comments on “recession survival tips” or “what’s the word on the street, know any more companies going under?”
It’s ridiculous and is similar to dropping a horse into a pool fool of piranha!
Yes, the feeding frenzy is that bad!
Sean
I’m sick to death of hearing bad news and bad news sells more newspapers and gets more clicks on the net. It’s a horrible thing to say but it’s true.
January 28th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
I am with you both on this.
Confidence is a major factor in getting our economy going again and constant news stories peddling tales of gloom do nothing to stop people holding onto their money.
There is good news out there but you have to look increasingly hard to find it!
In this market though, the best sales people will win the day. They are the ones will retain their self belief and confidence. They will not let themselves be distracted by the bad news in the press. The will focus on the value that their companies provide for their clients and as long as they can demonstrate how their solutions can increase revenues or reduce costs they will find clients who will buy.
This downturn will perhaps cause a natural cull of the poor sales people who were able to hide in a rising market. Surely this is good news for the clients of the professionals who will remain?
February 5th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Very insightful commentary. The sense of ‘doom watch’ is almost tangible but the fact remains that we are a country of c.60 million people with a definitive need for goods, products and services. These things must and will be provided by our economic system and professional sales people who offer quality, value and service will be successful as long as they remain consistent because consistency raises the average chance of success. It’s about doing the right things but doing them in the right way.
October 5th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
radio news are very important and timely so i always listen to it*:’