Erin Andrews, ESPN’s gorgeous sideline reporter, was recently “peeped” in her hotel room. Eight video clips of her getting dressed hit the internet and the sports blogosphere has gone nuts. Very quickly, ESPN’s legal team tried to stop the spread of the video, and had it taken off some major websites. But, with anything that goes on the internet, once it starts to spread, it’s out there for life.
Now, the story took another interesting turn today when ESPN chose not to air its “Blog Buzz” segment– a report on the top five most blogged about stories of the day compiled by the buzz manager software at Sports Media Challenge. Obviously, ESPN was trying to avoid any further spread of the videos, and I’m sure they were advised by their legal team to keep the story off the air.
Unfortunately, this reflects the fact that ESPN is living in the world of old media, where media companies had complete control over the media landscape. This is no longer true. Once a video, picture, or quote hits the web there is no getting it back. So how do you deal with a PR crisis in this day and age?
You respond and interact with your consumers in a genuine way. You release more than a stale lawyers statement. Even better, you report on and leverage user generated content that is on your side.
ESPN, it is too late to stop people from talking about , viewing, or sharing the Erin Andrew’s video. But you can stop the exploitation of the story. While everyone is talking about it, no one is applauding the pervert who used a peephole camera to sneakily (and illegally) video tape someone naked.
Go on the aggressive against the pervert. Call out the NY post for posting such explicit screen caps from the video. Call out the thousands of bloggers who are using the story to merely drive traffic to the sites, or spread viruses. Even better, report on stories and blogs that share this sentiment. They are your best PR strategy. Public opinion is very much on Erin Andrew’s side, now use it to both humanize your brand and stop the further exploitation of the story.
Airing the Blog Buzz would have been the best ESPN PR possible– illustrating that fans and ESPN viewers all across the globe were not only interested in the Erin Andrews story, but were appalled by it. You need to trust the sports fan base that you supposedly represent.
From what I read yesterday and today, there is literally no legitimate sports blogosphere outlet that applauds the illegal voyeurism of Erin Andrews. Pretty much all agree that it most definitely crossed a line, even in our day and age where privacy has been re-defined.
By failing to air the “Blog Buzz” you missed a huge opportunity to confront the Erin Andrews story in a productive way. Instead of being seen as human and open, you are now seen as closed and controlling– a growing sports media empire that aims to control sports content rather than accurately report on it. Most sports blogs were started to combat your blatant corporatism and questionable journalistic ethics. Just when we thought you were beginning to move into the internet age, you proved once again that you value control over interaction, and that you could care less about your viewers and their interests.
