I was first a journalist; then a public relations executive; now a communications coach.  Atop this tripod of experience, I see that:

1. Barack Obama remains, all by himself,  a compelling story (journalists love that)
2. He has a publicity machine unmatched by any other administration (PR folks love that)
3. Everytime he opens his mouth, something silky-smooth comes out (communications coaches love that)

Two sides of me - the PR person and the communications coach - are fascinated by, and continually learning from, the Obama administration.  The journalist in me wants to wretch.

NBC News spent three solid days in the White House to bring us two nights (three, if you count the re-run) on how cool it is to work in the White House - whether as the president or one of his interns.  No news, really, just cool pictures.  Now ABC News is blowing out all kinds of regularly scheduled stuff for two days of Barack Obama and health care reform.  While the Republicans are peppering the White House with requests for balance, so far ABC has said no.  They have even turned down a paid spot that would have played after the White House Health Care Showcase.  Something doesn’t smell right to me.

Then, you crank in all of the public service announcements and paid commercials that the White House creates (i.e. the 60-second spot praising Sonia Sotomayor.  Did that feel sort of icky to anyone else?), and it’s all feeling perilously close to a frightening level of propoganda.

If you’ve ever read my blog, you know that I voted for Barack Obama.  I’d vote for him again.  You see, this propoganda machine is not his fault. It’s not his administration’s fault. It’s their JOB to try to spin the media in their direction!

It seems to me, it’s the media’s job to find the real news - and then balance it.  To do that, they will have to wipe the stars from their eyes.

Sometimes I think I’m losing my sense of humor.

Then, I realize that the whole country - maybe the whole planet - is feeling pretty serious.  The world economy is in the crapper; jobs are gone; we are at war.

That’s why, when President Obama grins and giggles when talking about the economy, the state of the auto industry and such - I cringe.  I would like to think he’s just being natural and real; unstaged. I fear he’s being natural and real; cocky.

This occured to me with his Special Olympics comment on Jay Leno.  It was an off-hand, silly public slip. And I think it’s probably exactly what he would say in private.  Then, watching him break into that trademark smile on 60-Minutes, I got the same feeling.

He chortled when talking about money needed to keep the car industry afloat. There are thousands of ex-auto workers who fail to see the humor. Obama explained it as “gallows humor”.  Wow. Reassuring words from the President.

Barack Obama needs an outside communications coach to help him bridle his humor - to connect both authentically and appropriately with the American people.

Sign me up.

www.lynnespinoza.com

I spent Valentine’s Day with Jay Leno. Actually, with my husband and Jay Leno.  We were lucky enough to snag front row seats at “An Evening with Jay Leno” at the Mirage in Las Vegas.

Once my jaw stopped hurting from laughing so hard, I realized that Jay’s ninety minute monologue offered some great fodder for communicators of all kinds - whether speaking to the media or delivering a keynote:

• Know your audience. Leno was clearly surveying the audience moment by moment. He was making eye contact whenever possible; looking for good sports to call on for spontaneous fun.  Take note: If your audience feels like you are genuinely willing to connect with them, they’re likely to support you. 
• Find universal truths. The reason Leno can keep thousands of people laughing at once is because he focuses on the things we all have in common: Parents; spouses; the pain of the economy.  When speaking to the media or to a live audience, spend some time thinking about the common ground shared by the people in your target audience. If you aren’t connecting with the broadest audience possible, you are missing an opportunity
• Use colorful, personal examples. Leno’s monologue went a full hour and a half. Though I laughed throughout, I can’t specifically recall a lot of the jokes. But I do remember a hilarious bit about his mom and dad in Boston.  It was a story about the foilbles of aging parents - told with as much heart as humor.  When you make your presentation or interview personal, it’s far more memorable. Don’t be afraid to pepper your presenation with personal anecdotes.
• Be kind. Unlike a lot of modern comics, Leno doesn’t resort to foul language for a laugh. He also reserves any trash talk for the famous and powerful - politicians, for instance. He doesn’t bash the underdog, or take advantage of human frailties. A media spokesperson or public speaker is well served by holding the high road. Bashing the competition generally yields few long-term benefits. Picking on an underdog is always unbecoming.

You have important things to say to your key audiences, and you don’t always want to leave them laughing. But if you want leave them with a memorable and personal experience - take a lesson from Leno.

Full disclosure: I voted for him. I think he’s transformational. I think he’s infused the country with hope for a better future. I love that he loves his wife. 

I am no longer a working journalist, so I can say all that. I don’t need to maintain (at least) the illusion of objectivity.

I think the media in general has gone WAY over the top in the way they’ve treated President Obama’s inauguration.  They should report on all the gushing, without gushing themselves. They should also look for a few non-believers to balance the coverage. Non-believers are not as hard to find as it appears on CNN, MSNBC and the networks. Fox would be happy to lend a couple of theirs, I’m sure.

Because their objectivity is out the window,it just doesn’t feel right for me to gush effusively. Instead, I temper my enthusiasm. I don’t want to appear to be towing the mainstream media line.

www.lynnespinoza.com