ALSO, A CASE STUDY IN MEDIA RELATIONS …
There are plenty of ways to respond to negative press …
You can flip out about it and compound your troubles, file lawsuits in an attempt to shut it down, ignore it and hope it goes away (which it eventually does) or … and this is usually the road less traveled … you can reach out to your critics and attempt to establish a good professional relationship with them.
One agency in S.C. governor Nikki Haley‘s cabinet has chosen the latter option.
Several months ago, this website broke the story of a major riot that occurred on the campus of a S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice (SCDJJ) facility. In breaking that news – and following up on it – we’ve been harshly critical of the agency and its (lack of) leadership. In fact we believe is yet another example of a state agency descending into chaos under Haley.
How did the governor respond to this scandal? Not well.
Of course her agency responded much differently: Adding us to its media list and bombarding us with positive stories emanating from within its troubled walls.
One of these stories involved an unnamed juvenile inmate who was invited to play violin with members of the South Carolina Philharmonic during this group’s recent visit to SCDJJ’s Broad River Road complex outside of Columbia, S.C.
The juvenile – who has reportedly been playing violin for several years – performed with the philharmonic on two pieces, we’re told. Other SCDJJ inmates “got the chance to take the baton and conduct the orchestra members while they played classic compositions.”
Nice …
Obviously feel-good stories like this one don’t do much to change the underlying problems at the agency. Nor do they change the fact SCDJJ and numerous other cabinet agencies have suffered grievously under Haley – who obviously has other things on her mind. Again.
At least SCDJJ has learned to take the good with the bad, though … which is an approach other agencies would be wise to follow.
(Banner via SCDJJ)