We are all challenged to make the best of the only thing we actually have full control over…our time. We make conscious choices to read, watch, play, sleep and on and on. It’s literally our call. As curious learners we also have to make sure that we are using that time to ingest information well and efficiently while cutting through so much noise and repetitiveness out there. Newsletters and digests help greatly with that curation and thought process, but even with a curated list, you are drawn many times to the bold and the brightest first. Waste of time or moment of enlightenment? Hard to give a solid answer, but you always need to trust and understand your source.
On the other side, we are well aware of the competition for our time with platforms big and small. How can they engage in a narrative and give us something worthy of a click, a discussion, a thought, which is not just drivel. For the time challenged, that click is invaluable, and the framing of that message is key, especially as the news business, with tools like automation, tries to find ways to generate revenue at the expense of well…expenses…aka staff.
So, we have this ying and yang. We don’t always have the time to fully digest context and depth, but we need to stay informed, and platforms need to find ways to achieve relevance and audience size that they can sell, market to and engage with.
Lop on to this the news making business. Bold names, bold businesses, bold ideas, all trying to tell stories and engage with a consumer, all of us, who are time challenged. With everyone clamoring, looking at watches, wondering who they are speaking to, worrying about the message and then getting on to their day jobs, sometimes things get lost in the mix, especially when it comes to larger context that sometimes is not properly put in place, or in some cases, interesting or worthwhile to the outlet pushing out the information. It leads to big challenges, reticence of participation, and missed opportunities to build relationships that can benefit all, especially as walls continue to be built between the news provider…athletes, celebrities and the like…and the news gatherer, aka outlets with reach large and small.
I raise all this because of an instance pointed out this week by our colleague, Arizona Cardinals head of communications Mark Dalton. Dalton, a consensus builder, industry veteran and thoughtful storyteller, was able to capture and explain the issues of sound biting and lack of context with regard to a broad statement made last week by star quarterback Kyler Murray. Murray in a press conference had a thoughtful response to how and why and when you can find a receiver like Marvin Harrison Jr. Made great sense. However, in the rush to soundbite, the need for clicks, the push to grab attention, a media member at a large outlet listened and pulled a part of the quote Murray used without context. The result was backtracking, explaining and wasting time chasing social conversations by those who did not have access to fully explain the story.
Headaches abound.
Dalton’s post quickly and effectively put the quote in its rightful place, but more importantly it highlighted the issues of time challenged, click driven media today…in a time where consumers have an endless thirst for news, detail and buzz. It’s a situation that is hard to avoid when engagement takes place…but this real time example of context and nuance is really invaluable in highlighting the issues not just on the newsmaker but the news gatherer in a time challenged and hyper competitive world.
Is there a real solution? Well first are relationships. Being able to openly address issues…mistakes, lack of context, misunderstandings and build upon them from both sides is critical. Explaining, correcting, clarifying is also critical and is more valuable than finger pointing and gossip as well, and that’s what the best communications professionals do. Solving issues and explaining challenges vs just shutting things down. By the way, silence is also not a real solution. Sports, media and all forms of entertainment are public facing businesses, so while limiting interaction is in many cases best, shutting down all interaction isn’t feasible for most.
So, what did we learn here? First, we are in a business of fallible humans, and we all make mistakes in a time-consuming world. Context in any discussion is also key, and sometimes that context gets lost in the speed of conversation. However, taking the time, as Mark Dalton did, to point out and correctly frame a challenge is really invaluable to an industry of media and storytellers. It gave us pause to think and understand without pointing fingers, and probably taught a lesson that can be used on both sides time and again. Will it make sound biting and framing easier? No. But it shows a willingness to listen, understand and explain how to clarify and diffuse a challenging issue without throwing more gas on the fire.
Points scored, lesson learned, example made. Now back to our TikTok account.
