This document summarizes key points from an issue of the Portland Quarterly publication. It discusses how reputation management has changed in the digital age, requiring an integrated approach across communications disciplines. It also provides examples of how companies and organizations can prepare for and handle social media crises through simulation exercises and coordinated response teams. Additionally, it explores how Twitter hashtags can help or hinder campaigns if hijacked by critics, and gives real-world examples of both successful and unsuccessful hashtag campaigns.

1. Portland
Quarterly
Issue 09: Spring 2013
Reputation Management in the
Digital Age

2. PORTLAND QUARTERLY

3. A strategic communications
consultancy for the digital age.
We help major brands, governments,
campaign organisations and
high-profile individuals tell their story
clearly and successfully.
We are trusted by corporate, public
and not-for-profit clients to advise
on strategic communications, public
affairs and digital engagement.
But where we excel is bringing all
these disciplines together for truly
integrated campaigns.

4. Contents
06 10
Reputation Management in # The Hashtag Hijack
the Digital Age
Jamie Silverstein
Tim Allan Twitter hash-tags can work for or against
The convergence between communications a campaign — but organisations can take
disciplines is increasing exponentially year- practical steps to increase the likelihood of
on-year — requiring organisations to bring success.
together their corporate communications,
consumer PR and branding, regulatory
engagement and digital campaigns if their 12
message is to be heard most clearly and
effectively.
Reputation Management on
an Olympian Scale
08 Dan Timms
The Social Age As one of the largest communications
challenges of the decade, the London
Mark Flanagan 2012 Games exemplifies how effective
structures, coordinated messaging,
By giving people the ability to thorough testing — and heaps of ambition
continually hold businesses and leaders — come together to deliver extraordinary
to account, social media increasingly results.
intersects corporate communications and
consumer marketing campaigns — putting Dan Timms, former Head of
a company’s behaviour at the heart of its Communications for London 2012, explores
commercial success. how almost ten years of planning ensured
the team were well placed to ride out the
PORTLAND QUARTERLY
Portland’s Mark Flanagan explores G4S security storm, while also delivering
how companies can prepare for a social one of the nation's most successful brand
media crisis and develop the skills needed campaigns.
to handle one.
04

5. 14 20
Communicating on a Global The Select Committee
Stage Challenge
Justin Kerr-Stevens Lara Newman
For multi-national organisations, Giving evidence to a Select Committee
global events can make or break a can be a nerve-racking experience:
communications campaign. probably the most direct examination of an
individual's ability to represent themselves
and their organisation, an inquiry should
be seen as a test of preparation more than
16 anything else.
The New Breed of “Brand
Journalist”
22
George Pascoe-Watson
The Court of Public Opinion
While newspaper circulations decline,
many individual journalists now hold Idil Oyman
more influence than ever — using Twitter
and personal blogs to enjoy a greater Parties involved in a legal dispute are often
reach and diversity of audience than their subjected to increased public scrutiny,
newspapers can offer. — which can impact reputations and the
bottom line.
Portland’s GPW considers the implications
for reputation management, and how Portland asked three top City lawyers
social-media-savvy MPs are applying the (Philip Clifford, Partner at Latham &
same techniques to political campaigning. Watkins LLP; Alex Gerbi, Partner at Quinn
Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP; and
Shane Gleghorn, Partner at TaylorWessing)
to share their thoughts on how this affects
18 their clients, and the advice they would
offer.
Building Media Relationships
Dana Gloger 24
The power of journalists to make and break
brands makes it vital to develop strong, The Communicator in Chief
effective and targeted relationships.
Charles McLean
A memoriam to General Norman
Schwarzkopf, Commander of coalition
forces during the first Gulf War, and
accomplished military communications
strategist.

6. REPUTATION
MANAGEMENT IN
THE DIGITAL AGE
Tim Allan
The convergence between communications disciplines is increasing exponentially
year-on-year — requiring organisations to bring together their corporate
communications, consumer PR and branding, regulatory engagement and digital
campaigns if their message is to be heard most clearly and effectively.
PORTLAND QUARTERLY
Tim Allan is Portland's Managing Director.
06

7. O
nly a few years ago, Companies need to equip The final change is that
the dividing lines themselves to talk to a much communication campaigns are
between the different increasingly global. Brands can be
PR disciplines in the
wider group of audiences and damaged in one country because of
corporate world were to be aware of the interplay their actions in another. Effective
fairly sharply drawn. between them. Their needs global communication campaigns no
are more about reputation longer require an endless network
On one side was financial PR which of offices, but they do need the
enabled Chief Executives and CFOs management than traditional
involvement of people with expertise
to talk to shareholders, analysts and financial PR targeted at a and knowledge of a wide range of
the financial journalists. Getting the small number of journalists local media markets. Agencies with
communication of company strategy and analysts. the right expertise can win business
right could have a significant impact all over the world, wherever they are
on the confidence the capital This is a seismic industry shift. based.
markets had in the executive team, Business leaders now seek out
especially during a transaction. PR communication consultancies that At Portland we are hugely excited
proved its value and the industry understand finance but can help by these changes. Our work often
professionalised with the best them communicate to a wider range cuts across traditional boundaries of
financial agencies commanding of audiences on issues which affect financial PR, consumer PR and public
premium fees for a premium service. their reputation. affairs. We find that many large
corporations, which previously relied
On the other side was consumer PR, At the same time, consumers now on traditional financial and consumer
usually reporting to the marketing want to know much more about the PR are realising they need help
director. The task was to help boost companies behind their favourite which goes beyond these narrow
product sales by promoting brands brands. The communications disciplines. So they are turning to
through the editorial side of media. revolution allows them to find this agencies like Portland which can
Its success meant that, over time, information instantly, to share provide the integrated support they
consumer PR captured a larger share their opinions and run campaigns need to manage their reputation in
of marketing budgets with creativity in support or against companies the digital and global age.
and content, on the agency side, that through their laptop or smartphone.
rivalled the best advertising. This edition of the quarterly contains
So consumer PR also now has to several articles that showcase our
But this easy taxonomy of the PR include high quality reputation work in this area.
world no longer applies. Powerful management. That is why chief
forces are transforming the marketing officers are turning to We hope you enjoy it.
landscape and breaking down agencies that understand brands but
divisions. Even the most fervent can offer broader support.
advocates of shareholder capitalism
now accept that any communication Public affairs is another area of the
campaign that focuses solely on industry in flux. Services are moving
the capital markets will fail because away from direct lobbying towards
it does not cover some of the key a broader reputation management
drivers of company valuation. approach. The companies that
are most successful in winning
Many different audiences now arguments with politicians will be
communicate about businesses those that can get their case across
in a way which impacts on their directly and indirectly by mobilising
operations, their profitability and consumers and other interested
their value. parties, on and off line.

8. THE
SOCIAL AGE
Mark Flanagan
By giving people the ability to
continually hold businesses and leaders
to account, social media increasingly
intersects corporate communications and
consumer marketing campaigns — putting
a company’s behaviour at the heart of its
commercial success.
Portland’s Mark Flanagan explores
how companies can prepare for a social
media crisis and develop the skills needed
to handle one.
PORTLAND QUARTERLY
Mark Flanagan is Portland's Partner for digital communications. Prior to joining
Portland, he was Downing Street's Head of Strategic Communications, working for
both the Labour and Coalition Governments.
08

9. T
here used to be saying, The damage is real and impacts ronandunneo2) took to Twitter to
often misattributed to on business. In the heat of the tax engage directly with customers.
Mark Twain, which went scandal, Starbucks’ Buzz score, which He helped explain the company’s
“never pick a fight with a measures the negative and positive position and limit the reputational
man who buys ink by the comments consumers have heard damage.
barrel and paper by the ton.” It is a about a brand, plummeted from 0
lesson which many politicians who to -25.2 Faced with the prospect of a But companies should not wait until
have launched an all-out war against consumer backlash, it’s no wonder the crisis breaks before getting plans
the print media only to be forced into that the coffee giant quickly decided in place and their structures aligned.
humiliating retreat, have regretted to pay more tax here in the UK even
ignoring. if the way they were behaving was To help in this process, Portland has
perfectly legal. recently developed a social media
In a world in which newspaper sales simulation — Simulo — at which
have crashed and we get our news This is ‘the age of damage’, attendees learn to handle a mock
from many different sources, the according to David Jones, the author crisis situation. It is a real roll-up-
traditional media is not as important of “Who Cares Wins: Why Good your-sleeves war-gaming exercise
or fearsome as it once was. But its Business Is Better Business”. As he that aims to stress test your existing
role as watchdog is being rapidly says “corporate social responsibility crisis planning in a contained and
taken by a new, more democratic has now been taken out of the silo secure environment.
beast which can be even harder and put in the P&L statement by
for leaders, whether political or social media. We are entering an We work to make it as realistic as
business, to keep in check. Indeed era in which businesses that are not possible, building digital and social
the 2013 version of the old adage socially responsible will suffer. And media platforms using your brand
might be “never pick a fight with those that are will do better.” but on a private network. The aim
a man or woman with more than of the exercise is to test capabilities,
twenty thousand Twitter followers”. What's happening is the convergence surface gaps in plans, and build
of corporate reputation and leaders’ abilities to make decisions in
The internet and social media have, consumer behaviour. If your real time when a social media crisis
for the first time, given the ordinary customers suffer a bad experience, breaks.
citizen the chance and tools to hold their stories can be shared and
leaders to account, to punish them amplified online and easily picked This is a handy way of gauging how
and even remove those who behave up the mainstream media, policy- prepared an organisation is. But
in the wrong way. makers and regulators. And, in turn, it should also make organisations
if you are seen to behave poorly as understand that they shouldn’t wait
Just how quickly the world has a corporate entity, people now have until a reputation crisis to protect
changed can be gauged from the ability to connect and create the most valuable intangible asset on
the fact that more people now mass movements against you. the balance sheet.
believe that citizen-consumers Indeed, there is growing evidence
can make an impact on the world that many consumers are routinely Companies should always be in
than government/politicians or checking who is behind a product ‘crisis’ mode even in the good times.
corporations do. 1 before buying. This means much closer working
between brand and corporate teams
This has placed new This has significant implications and, most importantly, a better
for the way organisations operate. understanding of how to survive
demands on leaders and
Traditionally, brand and corporate and win in this fast-moving, socially
their organisations. Not reputation were seen as two connected world.
long ago CEOs could ration different beasts. Marketing held
their public appearances — sway over the brand budget, and
making occasional and highly the C-suite controlled corporate Simulo is available as a one-off
choreographed interventions reputation with often little evidence exercise or as part of a broader
of a common strategy. media training plan.
around set-piece moments.
Now modern leaders find This no longer works. In a socially For more information, please
themselves under permanent connected world, companies must contact mark.flanagan@portland-
scrutiny and under pressure take brand marketing and corporate communications.com.
constantly to communicate affairs out of their silos and deploy
them jointly in pursuit of common Sources:
and explain their decisions. objectives.
1. http://www.slideshare.net/
Last year saw some of the biggest HavasWorldwide/havas-worldwide-
When O2's mobile network went prosumer-report-communities-and-
corporate names in the world down last year, the public affairs, citizenship
learn this the hard way. News press office, marketing and customer
International, Starbucks, the banks service teams all came together 2. http://www.brandindex.com/article/
and the BBC were just some of the to form a centralised war room— starbucks-suffers-more-nike
organisations to find themselves to ensure a quick response and
under consumer attack. common messaging. The CEO (@

10. #
THE HASHTAG
HIJACK
Jamie Silverstein
Twitter hash-tags can work for or against a campaign — but organisations can take
practical steps to increase the likelihood of success.
T
he opportunity for making themselves known with the the top of his or her page — in this
engagement and “#taghijack” which allows a Twitter case, a link to a blog post titled,
interaction that user or group of users to protest or ‘4 reasons why Warren Buffett is
Twitter presents in air their criticisms. wrong on tax hikes!’
just 140 characters is
Over the last year, we have Starbucks also suffered a deeply
unprecedented. Its primary method
seen strategic and often costly embarrassing #tag hijack. Shortly
of delivery, the humble mobile, has
social media campaigns provide after it was disclosed that the coffee
made it ubiquitous.
opportunities for critics to engage firm was paying hardly any tax in
In the past 12 months, we have seen in brand bashing. Here are a few the UK, the company rolled out its
the Pope join Twitter and gain over examples: #sharethecheer promoted tweets to
1.4 million followers. 123 heads of a less-than enthused Twitterverse
Research In Motion’s sponsored
state and 100% of US senators use with messages displayed on a
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Eve 2011
the platform. Portland’s research big screen at the Natural History
show and billboard in New York's
on Global Politics on Twitter, How Museum in London. According to
Times Square for its “Let's #BeBold
The Middle East Tweets and How the Daily Telegraph, they forgot
in 2012” campaign. While the firm
Africa Tweets has provided us with to moderate tweets which meant
claims to have received more than
some insightful data about Twitter that ‘one tweet called Starbucks
35,000 “appropriate” responses,
use around the globe. It is where ‘tax dodging MoFos,’ while another
brandjackers were able to crowd
the influencers gather to engage or opted for a more blunt message:
out any positive reactions with
simply to monitor the conversation. ‘Hey Starbucks, PAY YOUR *******
wry tweets about the company.
TAX.’”
For organisations whether One representative tweet, by @
governments, corporates or the not- benihime33 read, “@blackberry You While these incidents illustrate
for-profit sector, Twitter has opened are boldly running your company the potential perils of social media
up a whole new world. The barriers into the ground #BeBold.” campaigns, they should not put off
of the traditional media have been organisations from harnessing the
The last year also saw the political
removed and a direct and personal great opportunities to learn and to
class embrace #tags as a means
interaction is possible with each and engage that social platforms afford.
to engage constituents around key
every citizen, customer or member. After all, 29% of Twitter’s active
issues. During the fiscal debate,
100 million users follow a brand and
Those of you on Twitter know President Obama urged citizens
64% are more likely to buy from a
there are certain conventions to to use the #tag #my2k to tell their
brand they are following.
follow. The RT means retweet, CC representatives how they would
is copy to and the #tag indicates spend their estimated $2,200 in Sacrificing control of messages
PORTLAND QUARTERLY
a conversation theme and allows saved taxes if Congress agreed is an inherent risk that any brand
people to follow that conversation. to extend tax cuts for the middle must face when it chooses to go
Campaigners often create a class. But the Heritage Foundation social. But there are steps that
#hashtag so that they can own a purchased the promoted tweet — a organisations can take in planning
conversation about a topic in order paid for media option on Twitter and executing their live campaigns
for it to trend and to track it. where advertisers pay for a theme to manage and reduce the risk of
or a keyword — for the term. The experiencing negative feedback and
But the #tag can work for and
results was that any Twitter user increase the likelihood of success.
against campaigning organisations.
who saw the #my2k #tag also saw
Adversaries have found ways of
the conservative group’s ad at
10

11. Monitor: Knowing who is saying what him or her to imbue a #tag like responding promptly by switching
about your organisation is not simply #sharethecheer with meaning, to #MeetTheFarmers; negative
a strategy effective for pre-empting brands are most successful on conversation subsided within
crises, it is a method of learning Twitter when they direct users’ minutes after the switch.
more about what your target creativity or competitive energy
So what do these examples tell us?
audience wants from you. Pepsi- towards a defined purpose.
The risk averse will look at what’s
owned Gatorade recently established
Virgin America, for example, used gone wrong and continue to steer
a social marketing Mission Control
Promoted Tweets as the sole clear of engagement platforms like
center in its Chicago headquarters
means of announcing the airline’s Twitter. The brave will see the huge
to track online sentiment, as well as
expansion into Toronto, offering a opportunities and potential rewards
the trajectory of conversation on
50%-off promotion for the first 500 and venture out and campaign in
Gatorade and its product launches
travelers who booked flights from new ways.
across the Internet.
two California airports. The online
But the lesson is that mapping-
The command centre is a room competition was so successful that
out every aspect of monitoring,
with six large monitors that feature tickets sold out in three hours and
engagement, integration, and
real-time visualisations of the online Virgin America recorded its fifth-
response can increase protection
activities of its sponsored athletes highest sales day in the airline’s
against negativity. This means not
and social network users who history on the day its Promoted
only having a plan but testing it
engage with the company. It meant Tweets went live.
through simulation. The difference
that when Gatorade launched the
In the UK, clothing retailer Uniqlo between a failed Twitter campaign
'Gatorade has Evolved' campaign,
applied another variation of the and a winning Twitter campaign
featuring a song by artist David
social media competition, creating doesn’t lie in what comes after the
Banner, they were able to have a full-
a Twitter page called the “Lucky #tag, it’s in what comes before it —
length version of the track ready to
Counter,” which featured ten clothing the planning.
distribute to its Facebook and Twitter
items. The more people who tweeted
followers who expressed interest in
about each piece of merchandise,
it within 24 hours. Since establishing
the cheaper it became on Uniqlo’s
the centre, the company has
managed to “increase engagement
website. Jamie Silverstein is a
with its product education (mostly Respond: Even the most carefully Researcher in Portland's
video) by 250% and reduce its thought out campaign and #tag
exit rate from 25% to 9%.” Similar use can backfire so it is important New York office, where
centres have been set up by Nestle, to maintain contingency plans that he provides research
Red Cross and Dell. can be readily deployed to react to
negative feedback. Best practice and analysis on strategic
Engage: While the 140-character
confine of this social media platform
requires exploiting Twitter not just communications
as a communications and marketing,
does not lend itself easily to
but also a customer service tool. campaigns for clients
expressions of profound emotion,
the platform is extraordinarily useful When McDonalds introduced its including The Rockefeller
for relaying light messages and #McDStories campaign to humanise Foundation and the United
snappy one-liners. Brands that have the brand with personal stories about
traditionally relied on vague and farmers early last year, the #tag was Nations.
open-ended mottos must operate seized by critics who used it to hurt
more deftly in such an environment. the brand. McDonalds’ social media
Instead of allowing the consumer director Rick Wion is credited with
to lead the conversation by asking

12. W
hen the G4S security Government and LOCOG, to the GLA the government’s digital approach
staffing story broke and London’s transport and security brought 4.5 million followers across
in the days leading chiefs — recognised the importance all its channels.
up to London 2012, of working as one. It didn’t matter
Testing, Testing, Testing: The year
many must have felt whether you were building the
before the Games was dedicated
that the doubters had called it right venues, running the transport,
to testing the agreed structures
all along. securing the borders, or staging the
and plans to destruction. By the
sport, as far as the outside world
final, full-scale live exercise in
For years, they had been saying that was concerned we were all just
spring 2012, around 5,000 people
London was not fit to host this kind 'London 2012'. Any failure would
across the project were taking part.
of event. The venues would never reflect badly on us all, and collective
Cabinet ministers tackled scenarios
be built on time. Public transport success was the best means of
ranging from ash clouds to lost
networks would collapse and the securing individual triumph.
athletes, drawing on the input of
airports would not be able to cope.
The right structures: Our priority everyone from the Met Office to the
The government was incapable of
was simple: remove the barriers to Metropolitan Police.
overseeing such a complex project.
effective collective communication.
I remember Chris Holmes, our most
When you considered the scale The structure we put in place
successful Paralympic swimmer,
of the challenge, it was easy to allowed communications directors
talking about his preparations for
understand why. from every organisation involved to
the Barcelona Games. He said that
be on call together at a moment’s
Against the backdrop of the worst knowing he had put in something
notice, meaning a quick and
economic crisis in a generation, like 80,000 lengths of training for
coordinated response to any issue
and with the Dome and Wembley each individual stroke of his final
that arose. By the time the athletes
still fresh in the memory, we made him confident that he could
were parading through London,
needed to deliver Europe’s largest cope with whatever the race would
more than 120 of these calls had
construction project on time and bring.
taken place.
on budget. Then, in one of the
The years we had spent pinpointing
world’s busiest economic capitals, A centralised media operation:
potential areas of risk for the
we had to stage an event which was The Government’s crisis
project and putting contingency
equivalent to holding a G20 summit, communications model had
plans in place meant that, when the
Wimbledon, and the FA Cup final on previously only ever been activated
G4S storm hit, we were well placed
the same day, every day for three for a few days at a time. Now
to ride it out.
weeks. the challenge was to stand it up
for a whole summer. Winning But there was one other element
On the one hand, it was a priceless
buy-in from ministers, No 10 that was essential to overall
opportunity to showcase the
and communications leads at an success: ambition.
capabilities of UK plc and promote
early stage allowed us to pool
brand Britain to the world. On the In such a harsh economic climate,
resources across government and
other, it was one of the biggest it would perhaps have been
bring together press, digital and
challenges that the country had understandable if our ambition had
strategic communications teams in
ever undertaken — a reputational been reined in. But something that
a centralised operation over an 18-
management operation on an our Sydney counterparts said had
week period.
Olympian scale. always stuck in our minds: “Don’t
A coordinated message: It look back and wish you had done
As the Opening Ceremony
was vital that all ministers and more.”
approached, with around 40,000
spokespeople could speak about
journalists already in town and no With eighteen months to go, the
London 2012 with a single voice.
sport yet to distract them, it was government rolled out its biggest
This meant agreeing clear messages
inevitable that media scrutiny would ever promotional drive: the
around every aspect of the Games
reach its peak. ‘GREAT’ campaign. Targeted at
— from construction, transport and
growth markets worldwide, it was
Previous hosts had warned that security, to sporting benefits, social
specifically designed to showcase
this was the period that could make impact and economic legacy. Each
the UK and boost trade, investment
or break a Games. For Beijing, it morning we produced a common
and tourism off the back of the
was concerns around air pollution script, designed to set the tone for
Games. So by the time the Queen
and human rights that threatened communications that day and allow
was parachuting into the Olympic
to overshadow the Olympics. Two our spokespeople to respond with
Stadium, millions of people across
years later, stories about crime confidence to the news agenda.
the globe had already begun to see
and security dominated the news
A trusted online presence: When Britain in a new light.
PORTLAND QUARTERLY
agenda in the approach to the 2010
a single tweet about transport
World Cup in South Africa. Hosting a safe event and emerging
problems or airport delays had the
with our reputation intact was
When the G4S story broke, a potential to trigger an avalanche
necessary for success, but it would
number of factors proved crucial to of criticism, it was vital that we
never fully define it. Instead an
our response: could rely on a strong digital and
ambitious long-term plan helped
Unity of purpose: Right from social media presence. This meant
turn one of the country’s biggest
the start, all partners involved making sure that it was trusted by
ever challenges into one of its
in delivering the Games — from journalists and the public alike well
greatest triumphs.
ahead of the Games. In the end
12

13. REPUTATION
MANAGEMENT
ON AN
OLYMPIAN
SCALE
Dan Timms
As one of the largest
communications challenges of
the decade, the London 2012
Games exemplifies how effective
structures, coordinated messaging,
thorough testing — and heaps of
ambition — come together to deliver
extraordinary results.
Dan Timms, former Head of
Communications for London 2012,
explores how almost ten years of
planning ensured the team were
well placed to ride out the G4S
security storm, while also delivering
one of the nation's most successful
brand campaigns.
Dan Timms is an Associate Director at Portland, prior to which he was the UK
Government’s Head of Communications for the London 2012 Olympics.

14. COMMUNICATING ON
A GLOBAL STAGE
Justin Kerr-Stevens
For multi-national organisations, global events can make or break a
communications campaign.
PORTLAND QUARTERLY
Justin Kerr-Stevens is an Account Director in Portland's International Advisory
team. He has extensive experience in government communications and country
branding, including projects for the UK and Australian governments.
14

15. T
wo days after the volcanic response is key, yet the quality of the right channels and competent
eruption on the island of response cannot be compromised. teams empowered to make quick
Krakatoa the New York decisions and respond.
Times carried a five line Warren Buffett said that a reputation
article on the volcano. A takes a lifetime to build and only When the lights went out at this
telegraph line, recently connected five minutes to destroy — in today’s year’s Super Bowl one company
to Batavia in the Dutch East Indies social media environments five seized on the issue as an
enabled the news to be transferred minutes could often be considered opportunity. Oreo immediately rallied
via successive relay stations until it a lifetime. Reputation managers its entire communications staff
arrived in New York. need to consider what they would to achieve a single objective: find
do in a short window to protect their the opportunity to enhance Oreo’s
Most people think that the 1883 companies’ reputation and capitalise reputation and capitalise on it online
explosion of Krakatoa was the largest on an opportunity that could be for a fraction of the cost a traditional
volcanic eruption in the 19th Century; critical to brand positioning and 30/60 second spot.
they would be wrong. That honour market share.
goes to the Mount Tambora eruption By the time the lights came back on
almost 70 years earlier. They need to start thinking well in New Orleans, the team at Oreo
before that five minute clock starts had deployed a new ad that was
The difference in perception is ticking. Planning for a crisis is the being distributed across multiple
partly due to how the events were most crucial and often overlooked digital channels. Thousands of
communicated: aside from the step in reputation management — people on Twitter and Facebook
effect on global climate the Tambora it is now even more critical given shared the new advertisement,
eruption went largely unnoticed, every business is visible to global turning the Superbowl audience into
many people only hearing of it two audiences. The three basic rules of Oreo’s broadcasters. Oreo was widely
years later when Sir Henry Stamford reputation and crisis management praised for ‘nailing the Superbowl’:
Raffles the former Governor of Java remain unchanged: knowing where using real time creative techniques
published his diaries of his time. you want to end up after the event; that most traditional marketers
making sure you understand your hadn’t even considered.
Contrast this with the impact of target audience; and deploying
the 2011 Japanese Tsunami. Within supporting strategies and tactics to International reputation
twelve hours of the event Twitter was reach your objective. management demands active
recording up to 1200 tsunami related and on-going engagement with
tweets per minute in Tokyo; there Whilst most people would scoff at the customers, constituents, peers,
had been 500 edits to the Japanese concept of the luxury of time when supporters and critics. It also
Tsunami Wikipedia page, 7000 managing a crisis or reputational requires an awareness of current
records entered into Google’s person disaster, it is increasingly the one events that can be used to actively
finder app and over 16,000 videos thing that cannot be changed and manage and promote your online
posted to YouTube. can be relied on to diminish in reputation and interact with your
traditional campaigns. audiences. This responsibility cannot
Communications around these three just rest with the intern managing
natural disasters offer lessons for Well thought out, brilliantly your Twitter channel; it needs be the
anybody considering how to manage executed through-the-line job of every communications team
their brand's reputation in a digital member and be instilled within the
age. campaigns can still achieve culture of your wider organisation.
strategic results, but they are Oreo is not the first to pioneer real-
Technological development has also competing against agile, time responsiveness but they may
scaled to a point that we face instant real-time marketing and brand well be 2013’s current leader.
feedback loops coupled with a low
management that quickly
cost of entry — making anyone with As communication increasingly
a mobile phone and internet access responds to events, crises and moves towards real-time activity
a potential commentator on the next opportunities in ways that it will be increasingly important
positive or, increasingly, negative were a distant dream several for staff to be enabled and
event to hit your company. years ago. empowered to respond quickly
to breaking events. Without the
As the global reach of smartphones Where Sir Henry had two years to right teams working together in an
and near universal Wi-Fi access craft his definitive account, today’s organisation chances are you will
become almost a given, traditional narratives are continually contested miss an opportunity to enhance your
reputation management tactics will in traditional media and in the digital international reputation — worse still
need to be applied to increasingly space. It is more important than ever you could make contribute to a crisis
agile environments where speed of that organisations are equipped with instead of solving one.

16. THE NEW BREED
OF “BRAND
JOURNALIST”
George Pascoe-Watson
While newspaper circulations decline, many individual journalists now hold more
influence than ever — using Twitter and personal blogs to enjoy a greater reach and
diversity of audience than their newspapers can offer.
Portland’s GPW considers the 'gilt-edged' opportunity these personal brands offer,
and how social-media-savvy MPs are applying the same techniques to political
campaigning.
PORTLAND QUARTERLY
16

17. T
he newspaper industry and brand MP is a crucial audience into an appetite amongst politicians,
may be dying – but the for the corporate and NGO world to other journalists and the world of
phoenix rising from its understand and to work with. public affairs specialists.
ashes is the new breed of
“brand journalist”. Professional communicators Waugh, now says: “I could see the
shouldn’t turn their backs on the way newspapers were heading
Political reporters like Paul Waugh, traditional written or broadcast and loved the speed and agility of
Editor of Politics Home, and Ben media. blogging for the Evening Standard so
Brogan, now deputy editor of The much that it felt natural to go online
Daily Telegraph, were the first to spot If anything, we should step up our fulltime.
the gilt-edged opportunity offered by engagement as the marketing and
Twitter and blogging. advertising budgets are clipped. “I'm a frenetic news junkie at the
best of times but as a producer and
And they’ve put jet boosters under But brand journalists, in not just a consumer of news, the
their careers by turning themselves particular, are a powerful internet is a no-brainer for its reach
into brands in their own right. bunch with enormous reach to to a crucial younger audience and its
speed.
Other journalists like Caitlin Moran of a wide variety of audiences.
The Times have followed suit. They "As for Twitter, I certainly got on
have their own followers in addition They can move fast. They board early on because I knew it
to those who read the newspapers can be irreverent. They can would be big precisely because of its
for whom they work. be flippant or deadly serious. convenience and concision. In the
They can get their — or your — early days, it wasn't clear just how
In Moran’s case, she now boasts big its reach would be but as time as
375,000 Twitter followers, almost as message out unfiltered. gone on, the UK has proved a huge
many as the entire daily circulation market.
At this point, I should admit that I
of her newspaper The Times,
was a late developer.
officially 384,000 readers. "What makes Twitter blogging so
I never once Tweeted in my days as unique is the personal approach, the
Savvy MPs have taken a leaf out individual voice.
political editor of The Sun. I didn’t
of their book and have been quick
blog. Indeed, the culture of most
to realise they can build an army “People like to feel they are having a
political journalists at the time was to
of supporters by blogging and conversation rather than hearing a
mock those who were early adopters.
Tweeting. corporate message. Which is why the
But it was Waugh, at the time the journalist-as-brand has taken off in a
Tory backbencher Rob Halfon has huge way in recent years.
deputy political editor of the Evening
made huge impact on fuel duty by
Standard in London, and Brogan, the
running a one-man blogging and "Often the best corporate use of
political editor of the Daily Mail, who
Twitter campaign. a Twitter feed has to have this key
were amongst the first to see the
personal feel. The NorthernLine and
Labour’s Tom Harris and Tom Watson chances.
SouthWestTrains for example often
are other notables to have carved have a named individual Tweeting
They embraced the example set by
out brands. responses to customer queries and it
bloggers like Guido Fawkes when the
rest of us saw them as a thorn in the works.
And, of course, who could forget
Louise Mensch — now no longer side of conventional journalism.
“But online readers can sniff out
an MP — but who has a staggering inauthenticity within nanoseconds,
Their numbers grew and grew and
76,000 followers. which is why a buttoned-up corporate
they spewed out rumour, claim and
counter claim at a million miles an approach doesn't work."
Their numbers are growing, but
these MPs have realised they don’t hour. All had to be checked out,
Brand journalists are operating in
need ministerial office to make an diverting we newspaper folk from
every sector these days. Brand MPs
impact on legislation, regulation or our own duties.
are flexing policy muscle in a way
social affairs. never before seen.
Short-sightedly, we didn’t see them
There’s another benefit, too. as allies, as sources, rather we saw
These are the ways IT is changing
them as a burden.
how we communicate
Sick and tired of unfair attacks about
being a lazy politician, wining and But Waugh and Brogan spotted the
dining in Westminster? opportunity. They wrote frequent
blogs, laced with well-sourced and
Simply Tweet the details of your daily accurate gossip. George Pascoe-Watson
diary to followers and you neutralise is a Partner at Portland,
your critics at a stroke. It’s hard to Most of us knew the material but
condemn an MP when you get the judged it not strong enough to make prior to which he was
boring — but often exhausting — stories in our publications. Political Editor of The Sun.
details of their daily routine.
But suddenly there was a vehicle
This new breed of brand journalist for the nitty gritty and they tapped

18. A
s a journalist, I saw wrong journalist — something that Targeting the right person is also
my fair share of media happens far more than you might key. Round robin emails rarely get
relations disasters. imagine. Such examples by big coverage. Journalists can spot them
Having always worked brands are plentiful. Just a couple a mile off and if they know a story
in open plan offices, of nuggets of PR errors from my has gone out widely, they won’t be
the worst of these would quickly time as a journalist include a global inclined to cover it. And blanket
work their way around the team, brand sending out a press release emailing 400 journalists leaves you
with plenty of ridiculing and jokes to on a supposedly breakthrough wide open to making a mistake –
follow. new product that was going to you only need one email to have the
revolutionise skincare – but failing wrong name on it and the company
That could be embarrassing enough to put the name of the product or and PR person will almost certainly
for the unfortunate soul who had brand in the release; to a large car be named and shamed online.
made the faux-pas. But it was manufacturer offering an exclusive
nothing compared to the instant story — which then appeared in a Instead, target the most appropriate
and often global publicity that even rival paper the day before we were writer for the story and tell them
the smallest of mistakes will now due to publish. why you have chosen them. This far
receive, thanks to social media and diminishes the possibility of making
blogs. Most journalists are overworked small mistakes which could have
and time-pressed — and they don’t huge consequences, and it builds up
While some might think that the suffer fools gladly. and strengthens relationships.
digital revolution had diminished
journalists’ influence, it has, in fact, And given that ‘exposing bad But, slip ups will happen from time
done quite the opposite. practice’ is a cornerstone of to time and in these cases, reacting
journalism, most cannot resist quickly is essential.
Almost every journalist now the chance to name and shame
uses digital platforms and most anyone who has slipped up. And be A wall of silence is the worst
have thousands, if not hundreds in no doubt — they will name the possible reaction. If a journalist
of thousands of followers. That individual PR, the agency and the has tweeted about a faux-pas, then
includes a company’s target company they were working for. they are likely to tweet again if you
audience, customers and potential acknowledge the mistake and right
investors. One negative comment The smallest mistake can turn the the wrong fast. This is the best
from them can bring a company’s PR into the story — which is always possible publicity after a mistake.
reputation crashing down in a communications disaster. It will However daunting it may seem in
seconds. Journalists are opinion damage the client’s reputation as such situations, it is essential to
formers. Readers care what they well as that of the individual who engage with them online.
have to say and readers are sold the story in. And of course, the
ultimately customers. The potential initial story will be lost. It is also vital to learn how the key
influence on a business’ reputation journalists for your clients use
is therefore enormous and not The journalistic network is digital platforms. Make sure you
to be underestimated. They can, small and tight. It means that follow them on social networking
and do, make and break brands. If sites and read their blogs. Be aware
the consumer affairs editor on a
when a reporter broadcasts of how they use tools such as
national newspaper, for example, mistakes, their colleagues Twitter and Facebook and the type
rubbishes your client, they have will read this too and will of posts they put up. This is now as
instantly tarnished their standing. often get involved in the important as following what they do
debate. Before you know it, in the publications they write for.
And the digital world, however
fleeting it may seem, is in fact a whole host of influential Good reputations take years to
rather long-lasting. Anything put on national media journalists are build up and cement, but they
Twitter, Facebook or a blog remains criticising the company and can be completely shattered in
on the web and could come up in its reputation is decimated. an instant. The digital revolution
any online searches that a potential has exacerbated this hugely.
customer or investor makes of the So how is this minefield best The influence of journalists has
brand at a later date. avoided? Well, primarily, through therefore never been greater,
not making such errors. making it more important
PORTLAND QUARTERLY
And it is almost always the than ever to manage a client’s
small things that will cause The importance of building up online reputation by engaging
most reputational damage. strong relationships and trust with with and nurturing strong links
Companies will spend months journalists is essential. This means with reporters. They are, more
along with millions of pounds on that mistakes are less likely to often than not, the link between
big communications projects. happen. And, if you do slip-up, they businesses and their customers
But, all this can be ruined in an will likely be more forgiving if they and the public’s main source of
instant by one tiny mistake, such already have a strong relationship information about them.
as addressing an email to the with you.
18

19. BUILDING
MEDIA
RELATIONSHIPS
Dana Gloger
The power of journalists to make and break brands makes it
vital to develop strong, effective and targeted relationships.
Dana Gloger is a Senior Account Manager at Portland,
where she advises clients on best practise in managing
the press and broadcast media.
Prior to joining Portland, Dana was Consumer Affairs
Editor at the Mail on Sunday, a post she also previously
held at the Daily Express.

20. THE SELECT
COMMITTEE
CHALLENGE
Lara Newman
Giving evidence to a Select Committee can be a nerve-racking experience: probably
the most direct examination of an individual's ability to represent themselves and
their organisation, an inquiry should be seen as a test of preparation more than
anything else.
PORTLAND QUARTERLY
Lara Newman is an Account Executive at Portland, where she provides political
communications support for clients including AB InBev and Google.
20

21. I
n July 2011, near the beginning This growth in profile is, in part, whether he had ever accepted a
of my career in public affairs, down to changes to the committee bribe from a journalist. The session,
I found myself just feet away system. Making the position of Chair unsurprisingly, received great media
from one of those events elected has allowed an MP to carve a attention, with journalists calling
which seeps into the public role, voice and career for themselves. for Hayman to be given a sitcom
consciousness. I was sent along to Chairs looking for re-election will following his “preposterous gurning
cover the appearance of Rupert and also make sure their work gets and imbecile catchphrases”.
James Murdoch before the Culture, noticed.
Media and Sport Select Committee At the end of last year, sparks flew in
as they were questioned about This has also meant that the Culture, Media and Sport Select
phone-hacking. membership of the Committees Committee session with BBC Trust
has become more attractive to Chairman Lord Patten who came
The elder Murdoch spoke about this MPs. The Culture, Media and Sport into verbal disagreement with Tory
being the humblest day of his life. Committee’s investigation to hacking MP Philip Davies. Patten’s tetchy
It did not need the intervention of made both Tom Watson and Louise reaction to questions over his day-
the demonstrator with the custard Mensch much more visible figures in to-day activity — “Do you want to
pie to make him seem old and frail Parliament. know my toilet habits?” — provided a
(although the only question I get soundbite for the press and let them
asked was how close I was to the While most witnesses are probably paint him as a man not in control of
protest and his wife’s ferocious hoping to escape without any media matters.
counter-attack). As journalists wrote attention, Committee members
at the time, the session was rather increasingly take a very different While no amount of preparation
like getting a peep at the Wizard of approach. They want to make the can guarantee a relaxed, uneventful
Oz behind the curtain. most of their chance in the media hearing, when we at Portland
spotlight, deliberately taking a more work with prospective committee
The Murdochs’ appearance was a confrontational approach or working witnesses, we stress some simple
perfect example of how even the on a line of questioning or sound- rules. Be clear what you are trying
most powerful can be made to look bites which they hope will see them to say, don’t lose your temper, don’t
small in the committee room. A bad featured on TV news bulletins or in grandstand, and make sure you
appearance can cause irreparable the newspapers. know what you are talking about.
damage to the reputation of And if nobody ever talks about your
corporates and individuals. As the list of committee victims over appearance again, you have probably
the past couple of years indicates, done a good job.
Although routinely described many organisations and individuals
in the press as ‘an influential are have yet to adapt to this new
enviromment. Some still arrive ill-
group of MPs’, the average prepared or seem not to take it as
select committee used seriously as they should. Sadly for
to be confined to worthy them, the media have not been so
comments on government slow, and know the evidence sessions
strategy and the occasional are nowadays as newsworthy as the
final report.
cross-examination of a
minister. Today, they are quasi In 2011, Andy Hayman, once Britain’s
courtrooms in which MPs can most senior counter-terrorism
hold just about anyone to officer, was described by members of
the Home Affairs Select Committee
account.
as “more Clouseau than Columbo”.
Hayman became angry when asked

22. THE COURT
OF PUBLIC
OPINION
PHILIP CLIFFORD as part of managing a company's while the substantive issues and
PARTNER — risk and exposure. Publicity is a legal arguments are obviously the
LATHAM & WATKINS, LLP strong factor shaping the opinion priority for legal teams, one of the
of stakeholders - no more so jobs of the lawyer, particularly in
How has your advice to major than when the company is in the very high profile cases, is to be
corporations changed since the rise spotlight and engaged in litigation. sensitive to the client’s reputation
of social media and other digital and how the presentation of the
platforms which quickly move news The post-financial crisis dissection case may play out in the public
and information? of the financial services industry arena. The effective management of
has brought a surge of litigation such reputational issues can also be
In a 'hyper-connected' world, news, around internal investigations, a high priority for the client.
views and information — good and corporate fraud and regulatory
bad — travel fast and far, raising a matters. How important is the There has been significant criticism
myriad of potential reputational court of public opinion to banking of the rise of foreign litigation in
and legal considerations. From the industry clients? the English court. What is the future
legal perspective, business leaders of foreign litigation in the English
and boards are increasingly focused Regardless of sector, businesses courts, particularly with the rise
on a range of mitigation strategies, facing criminal investigations or of international legal centres like
including the need to monitor for regulatory proceedings should Singapore?
the abuse of social media platforms consider the risk of reputational
and to guard against risks to damage as well as the potential The English courts have historically
confidentiality and data privacy. sanctions. Unfavourable publicity been and remain a very popular
When problems do arise they can that damages a reputation or choice for the resolution of disputes
give rise to complex jurisdictional brand can be extremely difficult involving one or more foreign
issues and practical difficulties in to reverse, even if the subject is persons or entities. On the one
enforcement, so prevention is often ultimately cleared. hand, these cases take up valuable
far better than cure. time of the English courts, which
ALEX GERBI are publicly funded. On the other
Do you think the press attention to PARTNER — QUINN EMANUEL hand, such cases bring a lot of
a case influences the outcome of a URQUHART & SULLIVAN, LLP valuable business to the UK and
case or otherwise impacts it?
PORTLAND QUARTERLY
also help to raise the profile of the
You have been involved in one of UK as a global business centre.
Public opinion can be a powerful the biggest disputes to come before
force and is often used as a means the High Court. In your experience, Our practice at Quinn Emanuel
to apply pressure outside the was the legal approach impacted by concerns many disputes with a
legal process. History is the best considerations for the personal and foreign element and I do not foresee
judge as to the enduring impact corporate reputation of the parties? that foreign parties will be less likely
of publicity, however, it is sound to want to litigate their disputes
business practice to coordinate the I cannot comment on specific cases, before the English courts. That
0v
legal and public relations strategy but generally in my experience
22
said, arbitration as an alternative

23. Parties involved in a legal dispute are often subjected to increased public scrutiny —
which can impact reputations and the bottom line. Portland's Idil Oyman asked three
top City lawyers to share their thoughts on how this affects their clients, and the
advice they would offer:
Philip Clifford, Partner, Latham & Watkins LLP
Alex Gerbi, Partner, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP
Shane Gleghorn, Partner, Taylor Wessing
form of dispute resolution continues There are two factors relating to and companies. How important do
to grow in prominence and also social media that increasingly impact you think public profile is to the
forms a major part of our practice. our work: speed and anonymity. outcome of the case?
The London Court of International
Arbitration is increasingly a favoured First, the speed of delivery of It is difficult to measure, but in
choice for foreign businesses. legal advice has to match the high profile court cases media
astonishing speed at which coverage can have a dramatic
As a result of public pressure, do you information travels online. Helping impact. This means that protecting
think law firms will be under greater high-net worth individuals stop the client's public profile requires
pressure to be more selective the spread of misinformation a subtle approach which is mindful
in representing poorly regarded requires a corresponding speed that, generally speaking, English
entities or individuals? of response. Legal teams should civil commercial cases (like the
accept that online platforms have Abramovich matter) do not involve
Law firms in the UK must meet more freedom than traditional a jury as decision maker. The direct
stringent professional requirements media to spread information, influence of a positive public profile
in taking on any new client and firms but our clients can expect us to is reduced when the decision maker
are naturally conscious of their help ensure misinformation will is a judge — they will consider
own reputation. At the same time, be corrected on these platforms. evidence and legal submissions to
it is a precursor of open justice that In this regard, it is important to determine the case.
all parties should be entitled to be keep in mind that users of social
legally represented and should have media are just as responsible for That said, negative publicity can
suitably qualified counsel available publishing unlawful material as the cause damage to an individual's or
to them. A bad reputation should not traditional and mainstream media. company's reputation that can be
of itself rule out a party from having So it seems likely that there will be deployed against them by a clever
access to justice and suitable legal libel actions relating to social media advocate. For example, although, of
representation. Each firm has to being brought by high-net worth course, honesty and transparency
decide where it draws the line. individuals. in public communications is vital, it
is likely to be unhelpful for a client
Do you feel the media play a valuable Allied to this is the importance of to try to boost their public profile by
role when reporting on a legal dealing with anonymous criticism making an apology which contains
dispute? on online platforms. The so-called admissions that end up being used
Norwich Pharmacal order has against them in the court room.
It is a cornerstone of a properly become an increasingly used tactic Similarly, it is unhelpful for a litigant
functioning justice system that it is to seek information from internet to make an over-reaching criticism
transparent and accessible to the intermediaries in order to bring of their opponent that ends up
public, and the media plays a key role proceedings against anonymous being played back to them in court.
in that, provided that the reporting internet critics; for example for Therefore, while it might be said that
is handled responsibly and in line defamation, breach of privacy or public profile is unlikely, in itself, to
with the professional standards copyright infringement. In short, in determine the outcome of a large
demanded of our press corps. order to protect their reputations, commercial action in England, the
high-net worth individuals parties simply cannot take the risk
SHANE GLEGHORN require legal teams who can of ignoring the impact of negative
PARTNER — TAYLOR WESSING cross borders and drive through publicity.
anonymity barriers to ensure that
How has your advice to high-net misinformation is not spread. Idil Oyman is an Associate
worth individuals changed since
the rise of fast moving information
Partner, and leads Portland's
In 2012, the English High Court saw
through online platforms like high-profile cases attract immense Disputes Unit.
Twitter? media attention to the individuals

24. THE COMMUNICATOR
IN CHIEF
Charles McLean
A memoriam to General Norman Schwarzkopf, Commander of coalition forces
during the first Gulf War, and accomplished military communications strategist.
PORTLAND QUARTERLY
Charles McLean heads Portland's New York office.
24

25. G
eneral Norman spill but had refused. Khafji would He’d found a polite way of saying
Schwarzkopf’s death certainly be Topic A at the press “bullshit,” and he got a good laugh
late last year brought to briefing, but the oil spill story would from the press and his fellow
mind my time covering probably also get a mention. officers. He then went on to correct
his command of Coalition the record of events in the Gulf, and
forces as a reporter for NBC News The night before the General’s press moved on to other questions.
during what we now think of as the conference, I got a phone call in my
“first” Gulf War. hotel room from Schwarzkopf’s press I thought about our brief exchange
attaché, Ron Wildermuth. afterwards and I realised that I’d
Schwarzkopf will be been just a small piece in a neat
“The General would be very grateful little bit of military communications
remembered for his brilliance
if you’d ask a specific question at strategy. Schwarzkopf was angry
as a military Commander-in- tomorrow’s briefing” he said. about a report that criticised — and
Chief during that conflict, but in his view, misrepresented — the
his skills as a communications I had to figure that he’d already actions of a naval vessel under his
strategist are probably not as tried and failed to get other, more command, and he wanted to correct
honorable journalists to ask the the record. He knew that most,
widely known. A few words General’s planted question, so I maybe all of the questions he’d be
here to set the record straight. (briefly) searched my conscience. asked at the briefing would be about
Khafji — the big story of the day — but
Before the commencement of “OK” I said. “What does he want me he wanted to make sure he’d be able
ground operations against Iraqi to ask?” to make his point about the Navy and
forces in Kuwait there were a number
the oil spill.
of air and sea operations that made “The General would like you to ask
news. One of these was a firefight him whether the US Navy refused So he got his press attaché to find a
in a town called Khafji, just over the a request to help with the oil spill” stooge to ask a question about the
Iraqi border in Saudi Arabia. Wildermuth said. incident so he would be sure to get
his answer on the record. But then
As I remember the sequence of “No problem” I said. he must have thought, “What if I
events, Coalition troops who had
answer the question, but my answer
taken up positions in the town At the press conference the next day, gets cut?” At which point he came up
were ambushed by Iraqi troops in Schwarzkopf put on an impressive with a clever soundbite he knew we
a cross-border raid, but the Iraqi performance. He added new details couldn’t resist.
advances were then reversed when to what had previously been
the allies counter-attacked and reported about the Battle of Khafji, Schwarzkopf’s communications
re-took the town. It was the first and he brought the press corps up to strategy worked perfectly: all
real ground battle of the war, and date on the air war. three networks used the “bovine
the casualties included a number scatology” clip that night (NBC led
of US and Saudi soldiers. With the “I’ve got time for a few questions,” with it), and CNN played it on the
whole world watching developments he said, and pointed (too quickly, I hour for most of the day. Mission
in the Middle East, it was big news, thought) at me. Accomplished.
and the US military command in
Riyadh scheduled a press briefing “General” I said, “As you know, there
with General Schwarzkopf for the have been media reports that the
following day. US Navy refused a request to assist
with cleanup of that oil spill that
At about the same time as the Battle took place recently in the Gulf. Any
of Khafji, a Coalition air assault comment?”
on an Iraqi oil storage facility had
succeeded in destroying a strategic Schwarzkopf looked at me as if this
target, but had also, inadvertently, was the craziest idea he’d ever heard.
created an oil spill that was fouling Then he rocked back on his heels
a several-square-mile patch of and said, “That’s the most ridiculous
the Persian Gulf. An American piece of bovine scatology I’ve ever
newspaper had picked up the oil spill heard in my life!”
story and claimed that the US Navy
had been asked to help manage the

26. 26 PORTLAND QUARTERLY

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