Here’s the latest shocker, Scandal fans, (or maybe not at all). The ABC drama’s protagonist, Olivia Pope, is not a good role model for a crisis comms expert, say PR pros on Twitter.
The show, which came to an end last night after seven seasons, is the fictional story of Pope, a former White House communications director who, after an affair with the president, resigns to start her own crisis-management firm, Pope & Associates.
Pope’s character was very, very, very loosely inspired by real-life crisis comms expert Judy Smith, a former press aide to President George H.W. Bush.
Does the show accurately represent what it’s like to work in crisis communications. Well, no. But everyone needs a TV guilty pleasure.
Always tell your communications team (and the public) the truth. The truth is your best weapon in reputation management.
— Andrew McCaskill (@DrewMcCaskill) April 19, 2018
Great show. But crisis comms is too often portrayed as a 90's situation: newspaper and TV only. Where is the digital side? Where is the social listening and approach?
When you start from a place of willingness to lie, deceive, cover up and scapegoat you'll do nothing right in crisis comms or any other comms field.
— Jeff Mann (@jeffgmann) April 19, 2018
Oliva Pope never seems to be tired. Also, let's be real if we all drank as much as she did we would be the one needing a crisis manager.
— Hunter Frederick (@hunterfrederick) April 19, 2018
Crisis comms don’t usually work out well when you perpetrate adultery with your client ??
— Mike Champagne (@Mike_Champagne) April 19, 2018
What it got right: take ownership of crisis. Be proactive. What it got wrong: lies, committing crimes, being manipulative.
— Deborah Johnson (@deborah91473) April 19, 2018
