11 Aug PR TIPS: Be Prepared for the Tough Question
During a Press Conference or Press Briefing, anything is possible.
This means that the individual conducting the event as the primary speaker needs to be prepared for the zinger question. Which is what makes the video below so painful to watch.
In case you didn’t take the time to watch it, let me tell you — the video above is an example of How to Say a Lot Without Saying Anything.
In this clip, former White House Press Secretary, Jay Carney, is essentially asked if it’s not okay to have a gender pay gap in the workforce in general, then why is it okay to have women working in the White House get paid 88% of what their male counterparts get paid?
From a journalistic standpoint, this is a great question. One that should be answered,
Unfortunately (regardless of your political affiliation), Carney’s response is clearly one of the worst examples of not answering a reporter’s question while pretending to do so.
“Clearly one of the worst examples of not answering a reporter’s question while pretending to do so.”
Carney bobs. He weaves. He goes sideways. He obfuscates. But he never answers the question.
PAINFUL. TO. WATCH.
Personally, I think it would have been better to say something like this,
“That’s a great question, John. Let me check into that and get back to you with an answer.”
It’s possible such a response might have gotten Carney fired. But more than likely, what would have happened, what should have happened, is that the White House would have established and publicized a new pay structure with pay ranges tied to titles and experience. Then the White House could have led the country by example and touted its efforts to all the world.
And perhaps the White House already does this. Perhaps such a pay structure and policy inside the White House already exists. But given Carney’s rambling response, we’ll never know.
To be honest, a 12 percent gap in pay between one worker and another with the same title is not a sufficient difference to get all hot and bothered about.
If, however, women working in the White House consistently earn less than their male counterparts in the same position, then that’s a problem.
“The same rules should also apply in all areas of the workforce.”
The same rules should also apply in all areas of the workforce. And if those rules do NOT apply, then that is discrimination — plain and simple — regardless of who the employer is, but especially within the Federal Government. Especially within the White House.
What do you think about Carney’s response? How do you feel he should have answered the reporter’s questions?
I look forward to seeing your Comments.
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{NOTE: A version of this Post first appeared as a Post tied to my LinkedIn Profile.}
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