One Message Under Blogs
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who has never been shy about speaking his mind, recently made the decision to ban all bloggers - major and minor -- from the locker room. In a post on Blog Maverick, justifying his decision as a move toward equality, Cuban argued that he didn't feel that a blogger from the mainstream media should have more access to his players than a person who blogs as a hobby.
His assertion that this was an effort to ensure equality was met with heavy criticism from writers, both on and off the Internet. It was seen as a heavy-handed attempt at censorship and the backlash was immediate and overwhelming. In light of Cuban's well-developed persona, the ban seemed particularly out of character. He's opened himself up to criticism for eight years as the most connected owner in sports. By listening to customers about how to improve the fan experience, Cuban has built a brand based on accessibility.
So, when he shut off blogger access to his players, it was seen as petulant. Cuban was taking his basketball and going home. Popular sports blog Deadspin and Dallas Morning News reporter Tim MacMahon opined the ban to be a possible reaction to negative coverage. Even worse, it made Cuban's previous openness appear to be an artifice. Suddenly, a CEO who shared his opinions on his blog seemed to be trying to prevent others from forming opinions of their own.
After the NBA informed Cuban that he was unable to ban media bloggers from the locker room, he reversed course and opened the locker room to any and all comers from the blogosphere.
In his defense, Cuban is not the only member of the sports world struggling to deal with new media. A constant barrage of rumors and an endless dissection of business and game decisions are creating a news cycle that mirrors the world of the stalkerazzi and celebrity journalism.
If any owner appeared to be ready to handle the new media environment, it was going to be Cuban. His media and technology savvy suggested that he would be able to find an innovative way to grant access to his players and staff, despite a proliferation of bloggers. But instead of opening the locker rooms, as he had done with his entire franchise, he shut the doors. And the idea that this was about equality or access ended with that ban. Instead, this appeared to be a policy that was borne of his personal belief that newspapers are a dying industry. It appeared that he was punishing the mainstream media, whether that was his intention or not.
Nobody can control the blogosphere. Our world of new media means that news is instantaneous and that a brand's reputation is an organic, changing concept. In establishing your policy on interviews and media relations, you need to assess the image of your corporate brand. For Cuban, his brand was built on a commitment to engaging his consumers in an open discourse. He claims transparency and authenticity as core values. The first step you need to take in crafting a policy for working with blogs is to define the core brand values of your organization. If you value efficiency, than you need to deal with issues and developments in an expedient manner. If it's customer service you value, your corporation should respond to all complaints in a human and decent manner. The key is to provide an unchanging message that is in line with your core brand values, because then you're the same company whether you're dealing with The New York Times or a personal blog with a limited readership.
You don't have to open up your corporate boardroom to anyone with a pen or laptop, but you do need to be consistent in your response.
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