Masters of Disaster: the ten commandments of damage control by Christopher Lehane, Mark Fabiani, and Bill Guttentag (Palgrave Macmillan, 2012)
Two days before the last Ides of March, the day that went down in history as the death of Julius Caesar at the hands of Roman senators at Pompey’s theatre, I went to the Robinson Exhibition Hall in Little Rock, Arkansas. It was centuries too late for Caesar to learn the ten commandments of damage control from Chris Lehane, author with Mark Fabiani and Bill Guttentag of Masters of Disguise: the ten commandments of damage control. While Caesar shut his ears that fateful day to repeated warnings, the room was full of folks like me primed to learn how to emerge unscathed from potential controversy assassination.
Masters of Disguise isn’t just for celebrities like Paula Deen and Duck Dynasty‘s Phil Robinson who fought major media battles in 2013. The book holds media disaster preparedness tips for any individual, public or private citizen alike, who might draw public controversy. From my four college years in which I drew media attention twice (first for an injury, later for a contest win), I can personally testify that anyone can be thrown into the public eye at any moment totally unexpectedly.
My tip? Read this book if you hope to survive!
Happy new year, StoryDame friends!
Yep, Christmas is over. 2013 is gone like the Baker Building that resided on the southwest corner of Markham Street and S. University Avenue from before I arrived in Little Rock in 1976. But the empty lot, much like a black slate, promises fresh, new exciting things (one report says Chipotle) for 2014.
“What would you like to see on StoryDame’s slate for 2014?” That’s been the question I’ve been asking myself these past couple of weeks. And some thoughts have risen from the rumbling in my brain. Because two brains are better than one, I’ve agreed to exchange feedback in early January with a brilliant, young comedy cohart who produces, directs, writes and stars in a top quality comedy web series.
Until the formal 2014 plan emerges, the new year will start with thoughts gleaned from a major media lesson I learned in 2013. Three times this one issue arose right in front of my eyes. Twice it wrecked havoc. That’s enough for me to spot it as a trend or pattern. If improv teaches you anything, it’s to look for patterns!
Got some ideas of your own for Storydame? Email me: Lynn at Storydame.com 🙂
