Social Media Pushes Boundaries in China; Inspires Change
Traditional media has, on many occasions, served as a “checks and balances” system for those in power. Social media has taken it one step further—erasing the middle man by allowing individuals to directly challenge those in charge. Saturday’s fatal crash of China’s first generation bullet train highlights an important functional aspect of social media: Is it impossible to silence? The crash killed nearly 39 people when one train derailed and collided with another which was stalled near the city of Wenzhou. Officials initially said lighting cut power supplies affecting monitoring systems. However, rail officials concluded that signaling issues may have been the cause. Chinese authorities published a set of guidelines for the press on a website called “Ministry of Truth” which often posts copies of government directives; the posts included: “The major theme for the Wenzhou bullet train case from now on will be known as ‘in the face of great tragedy, there’s great love,’” states the orders. “Do not question, do not elaborate.” However, the crash is being labeled as a “public-relations disaster” for the government as efforts to quiet and control the media have been unsuccessful—including alleged attempts to pay-off families of victims while burying parts of the wreckage, according to various news reports. The Chinese people have taken to social media platforms to vent their frustration, questions and demands of their government—a notion that is proving a major change in the landscape of Chinese media. While many micro-blogging communities in China have made bold statements about the government’s alleged dishonesty, journalists seem to be slowly following suit. Traditional media, previously monitored closely by the government, is catching up with its worldwide counterparts. China is seeing “more publications and journalists who are interested in pushing the boundaries,” says David Bandurski, editor of the China Media Project website via USAtoday.com. “This is one of the biggest ever venting of anger and doubt, through social media, in China.” While there are still large parts of this evolving story to unfold, one thing is certain – many in China have an opinion and are expressing themselves through various social media distribution points, without the “middle man.”
News Corp. Scandal Continues, Leadership Questioned
Tuesday, July 19th—Rupert Murdoch and his son James are appearing before Parliament to give their testimonies on the News of the World’s phone hacking scandal. One of the key issues discussed is the Murdoch family’s involvement with News Corp.—the parent company to the newspaper. When questioned about Rupert Murdoch’s seemingly “hands-off” approach, Murdoch reveals he “very seldom” spoke to the News of the World. “I’m not really in touch,” he says, adding that he frequently corresponds with the Wall Street Journal. However, he denies that he’s “hands-off.” Denying that the fault lies with him, but rather with those that he hired and trusted—Murdoch represents a classic example of leadership gone awry. Whether or not his awareness of the matter existed—the point he makes is no doubt a troublesome one for many businesses, and leaves us asking, what is the extent of a leader’s field of vision? In an interview with media writer Ken Auletta on Monday night, Piers Morgan, host of CNN and former News of the World editor spoke on behalf of Rupert Murdoch, saying that he “cannot be expected to micromanage the methodology of every single part of his company.” After the current scandal, we now see that unethical practice can result in huge losses, and preventative measures must be put into place. In a statement to the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee, Rupert Murdoch was quoted as saying, “We now know that things went badly wrong at the News of the World. For a newspaper that held others to account, it failed when it came to itself. The behavior that occurred went against everything that I stand for. It not only betrayed our readers and me, but also the many thousands of magnificent professionals in our other divisions around the world.” While it is nearly impossible to control every aspect of your business alone, it is possible to make smart decisions about the people that surround your business. It is now clearer than ever; a leader’s field of vision only extends as far as the people he trusts to represent him. The old adage, “trust but verify,” couldn’t be more true as leaders may choose to delegate authority, but can never shed accountability.
Scandal Brings an End to 168 year-old ‘News of the World’
The empire that Rupert Murdoch built continues to crumble a bit as the Murdoch-owned British tabloid, News of the World, remains under fire for allegedly hacking into the voicemail of many public figures and other subjects of its reporting. The 168-year-old tabloid announced that it would shut down amidst the scrutiny and allegations it has received for the past five years. The move was a scramble to salvage what was left of the tabloid’s reputation. James Murdoch, son of Rupert Murdoch and chairman to News Corp, was quoted as saying, “News of the World is in the business of holding others to account. But it failed when it came to itself. Wrongdoers turned a good newsroom bad and this was not fully understood or adequately pursued.” Once seen as an asset to its parent company, News Corp, the tabloid’s reputation has reversed itself at lightning speed. The statement made by Murdoch, along with other efforts such as donating the tabloid’s profits to charities—however carefully calculated; serve as last ditch efforts to regain the integrity lost by the brand. Reputation is not the only facet of the company impacted by the scandal. After multiple firings, the question still remains of where to place blame. While the dishonesty of those closest to the scandal—the reporters and editors, can certainly be held accountable, the Murdoch family itself and others at the head of the company are also being called into question. At least one of Rupert Murdoch’s current business acquisitions is in jeopardy because of the controversy. Murdoch was in the process of bidding on the satellite broadcasting company, BskyB before the scandal broke, but Prime Minister David Cameron’s office said the British government would vote to support a motion asking Murdoch to withdraw his bid. Whether it be the inability to provide adequate leadership for such a large corporation–or just pure negligence, it is clear that certain measures must be taken to ensure resilience from these types of scandals. The relentless mission of securing your assets, protecting your people and strengthening your brand is never a responsibility that wanes or can be delegated. Integrity starts and ends at the top – what are you doing today to protect your brand?
Casey Anthony Trials: The Social Media Verdict
While Casey Anthony may have been found ‘not guilty’ this Tuesday—the court of public opinion had decided quite the contrary long ago, reacting to the decision with an outpour of disgruntled opinions on Facebook and Twitter. The much awaited verdict of the murder trial was reached on Tuesday when the jury found Casey Anthony, mother of 2-year-old Caylee Anthony, not guilty of first degree murder, aggravated manslaughter, and aggravated child abuse of her daughter. The outcome left many reeling with confusion. On Tuesday afternoon, Twitter users tweeted 34,000 updates with the term ‘Casey Anthony’, and according to MSNBC.com, almost 325,283 of updates of that day were trial-related—and had negative opinions of the verdict. Throughout the 36 day trial, Facebook pages popped up showing support for Caylee Anthony, urging users to commemorate her death. Statuses educated users on the findings of the trials. The sites gave an incredible testament to how public opinion is reflected heavily through these networks, as well as how they are rapidly advancing to become sources of information and systems of interacting with news coverage. As for Casey Anthony—she remains forever guilty…on Facebook.
