Perspective: The RJR Group Has “Integrity Questions to Answer? Why Offer To Do Political Debate? Dionne Jackson Miller Stood Tall
Schools’ Challenge Quiz Nothimg To Be Proud Of …
a fall out from the Debates Debacles is not going away … like the JLP’s 1.5 million Income Tax Plan.
Poetic Commentary
When in a position of public trust
Your conduct must be robust …
There must be utmost transparency …
If you seriously court integrity …
Schools’ Challenge Quiz has left a bitter taste …
It is no secret that top management persons at the recently merged RJR Communications Group with the Gleaner are intimately
associated with the National Debates Commission.
To fully appreciate the gravity of the predicament facing the RJR Group, let us for a moment look at this analogy.
The sister of a deceased Theresa decides to marry the widowed husband of her sister even before the body of her sister was properly buried. How do you think this would look to the unbiased observer? There nothing illegal about what Theresa did but the apparent indecent haste left tongues wagging as they perceived something is wrong. Perception is not necessarily fact but invariably it is not far. Damage from perception can be devastating as its damage can be long lasting.
Paper Over Problem
Full page advertisement in your Group’s newspaper to explain the quiz issue is good but you cannot always paper over things. Perception is key. .. the public seem to feel the quiz lacks integrity and needs revamping. Even the final that Thitfield won has left a bitter taste in the public’s mouth. Trust me it did not look good and was not your finest hour.
If you are proud of your image after the dust has settled, we say good for you. Remember perception is key … it is not what we fell or how we see ourselves but instead how others see us.
Why tell you what you already know?
If you are a batsman playing cricket and a bowler pitches balls outside your half stump inviting you to go for the big hit you do not have to yield to the temptation even if invited. If you get caught in the deep of the field you cannot then use as your defense or excuse that you were invited to make the big hit and you Can you?
You did not have to accept the invitation. You should have carefully calculated the risk and responded accordingly.
The RJR Group, even if invited to take up the slack left by the National Debates Commission (NDC). should have carefully calculated the risk to their image or possible reputational damage (to the RJR Group). The RJR Group appeared to have blundered by moving to fill the gap left by the NDC.
Was It For Ratings?
The RJR Group’s action is understandable but you could have more carefully assessed the possible impact of your action to take up the slack left by the NDC.
The fallout from the debate debacle and later the quiz fiasco speak volumes of what may be happening in your Group.
Public and private enterprises who take their public image seriously are not cavalier about how they proceed when crisis occurs.
Higher ratings would have benefited the RJR Group to have hosted the debates. Was this the real motivation?
Winning a court battle is great and do accept our kudos, but more importantly it is maintaining a positive public image that is critical for your continued survival. Do you think you are too big to close?
Jamaica Mutual Life was over 100 years strong and no longer exist today.
Industrial Relations
As a Media Group (RJR Group) you need to rethink your approach to your public image both externally and internally. Practicing sound industrial relations is critical to your enjoying sound production and an improved (better) internal/external image.
In part 2, we will examine your/the industrial relations image in your neck of the woods.
Congrats to Dionne Jackson Miller who stood up and did the right thing by not going with the flow.
Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie is Senior International Correspondent & Photojournalist now writing for Vision Newspaper Canada … worked for JNN which was bought by the RJR Group … is that sale/merger complete? When did my employment end? Amen!
