Wednesday 16 January 2013

Coming clean

This is my first blog post of 2013 and I wish all my readers a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2013. The subject on my mind right now is the ongoing Lance Armstrong saga. Oprah Winfrey's much anticipated interview with Armstrong will be broadcast over two consecutive Oprah episodes this week. He is expected to "come clean" about his performance-enhancing drug use after years of lying and denial.

What to make of it? Armstrong compounded the error of cheating with the error of lying, thereby adding insult to injury and making matters worse. In my opinion he has lost all credibiltiy and the carefully choreographed and staged Oprah appearance cannot and will not rehabilitate his tarnished reputation, I suspect.

The first rule of successful PR and media relations? Never, ever lie. People can often forgive a moral lapse or a "mistake" but they are less likely to forgive someone lying about it repeatedly, as in Armstrong's case.

It's time to move on, Lance (and Oprah.)