Rework jason fried

CHAPTER 
DAMAGE CONTROL 
 

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Own your bad news 
 
When something goes wrong, someone is going to tell the story. You'll be better 
off if it's you. Otherwise, you create an opportunity for rumors, hearsay, and false 
information to spread. 
 
When something bad happens, tell your customers (even if they never noticed in 
the first place). Don't think you can just sweep it under the rug. You can't hide anymore. 
These days, someone else will call you on it if you don't do it yourself. They'll post about 
it online and everyone will know. There are no more secrets. 
 
People will respect you more if you are open, honest, public, and responsive 
during a crisis. Don't hide behind spin or try to keep your bad news on the down low. 
You want your customers to be as informed as possible. 
 
Back in 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker spilled 11 million gallons of oil into 

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Alaska's Prince William Sound. Exxon made the mistake of waiting a long time before 
responding to the spill and sending aid to Alaska. Exxon's chairman failed to go there 
until two weeks after the spill. The company held news briefings in Valdez, a remote 
Alaskan town that was difficult for the press to reach. The result: a PR disaster for Exxon 
that led the public to believe the company was either hiding something or didn't really 
care about what had happened. * 
 
Contrast that Exxon story to the rupture of an Ashland Oil storage tank that 
spilled oil into a river near Pittsburgh around the same time. Ashland Oil's chairman, 
John Hall, went to the scene of the Ashland spill and took charge. He pledged to clean 
everything up. He visited news bureaus to explain what the company would do and 
answer any questions. Within a day, he had shifted the story from a rotten-oil-company-
does-evil narrative to a good-oil-company-tries-to-clean-up story. + 
 
Here are some tips on how you can own the story: 
 
The message should come from the top. The highest-ranking person available 
should take control in a forceful way. 
 
Spread the message far and wide. Use whatever megaphone you have. Don't try to 
sweep it under the rug. 
 
"No comment" is not an option. 
 
Apologize the way a real person would and explain what happened in detail. 
 
Honestly be concerned about the fate of your customers--then prove it. 
 

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