Hank Williams Jr.'s political comments raise several media management questions.
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This interview raises many media management questions. The aftermath will have to be handled carefully.
First, Williams didn't simply go off during an interview about his music. His appearance on Fox & Friends was introduced as being about politics, with a lower-third graphic that said, "Hank Jr Weighs In On the 2012 GOP Field." While the hosts appeared understandably stunned about the Hitler comparison, it was no shock that the conversation would be political. Williams is known for speaking his mind.
So one question to ask is why Fox chose this country music singer to interview about his political beliefs in the first place? When this idea was pitched at a planning meeting, someone would have had to describe the rationale for doing the segment.
That put ESPN in a difficult position. The interview ran Monday morning, just hours before Monday Night Football. If ESPN didn't take some sort of action, it would be subject to viewer backlash. At the same time, its executives may have felt that canning the Williams song forever would've been a knee-jerk reaction without having time to gauge whether there was widespread public outrage.
So ESPN issued a statement making it clear that Williams isn't an employee. It chose to eliminate the song from that night's broadcast.
The question for ESPN is what to do now? If Williams' intro video returns next Monday, some viewers might think ESPN really didn't care about what Williams said and just pulled him for one week as a public relations move. If Williams is permanently replaced, others will blast ESPN executives for caving in to political correctness.
This is certainly not the first time an entertainment figure has uttered something politically controversial on television. Free speech advocates might not like the content of what Williams said, but they will point out that during an interview on politics, he has the right to say what he thinks. He's not a spokesman for any corporation, he only represents himself.
Williams has issued a statement on the Obama/Boehner comparison with Hitler and Netanyahu. He said while his analogy was extreme, he wanted to point out how ludicrous that pairing seemed to him.
Media managers should plan for these possible consequences when scheduling provocative guests. Think beyond the momentary "this would be a great interview" to determine how you will react to any fallout. Even just switching from a live to a taped interview can give you protection. Otherwise, a five-minute interview segment may have you spending the rest of your week doing P.R. cleanup.
Update Thursday, October 6: ESPN has announced it is ending its relationship with Williams. But Williams says in a statement he is the one who pulled his song from Monday Night Football.
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Comments
Clearly Fox News invited him because they knew he had some outrageous anti-Obama views. ESPN is in a less-culpable position. Still, they should can the song, not because of “widespread public outrage,” but to demonstrate that entertainment figures don’t have carte blanche to engage in hateful speech without repercussions.
No one should feel offend, it was just his personal opinion. I feel the same way, he just has a bigger forum.
I am a Demacrat, I support our President. I don’t agree with the way he handles certain issues. Esp when he caves in to Republicans’ whining, (and they are MOST CERTAINLY the enemy…of the American people at any rate). But I understood what Hank Williams Jr was saying. He wasn’t calling the President ‘Hitler’. Metaphorically, he was making a point in his own inimitable way. That being how ludicrous that situation was to him.
As strongly as I disagree with his views, I just as strongly defend his right to voice them. Esp, as the article pionted out, when he was invited to state them.
How can the NFL/ESPN punish an American citizen,(and I assume violate his contract?), for exercising his right to free speech? He should not have to defend himself. And he certainly doesn’t owe anyone an apology!
This President has done everything to try and help people and been up against the worst name calling in history — from being called a communist to now the Hitler inference. He helped save auto jobs with cash for clunkers, he stopped insurance companies from denying individuals health insurance for pre-existing conditions and is trying to help the 40 million plus individuals who have either lost their insurance or can’t afford it on their own to get affordable insurance, he kept banks from taking down the entire financial system, he helped gays to serve our country openly in the military, many of our roads and bridges are being worked on right now, he is trying to get a jobs bill to help the unemployed, and he stopped credit card companies from raising interest rates on credit cards for paying even a utility bill late! He is doing this after inheriting 2 wars, a recession, an incredible deficit, and gas prices at the highest historical levels ever. The name calling is unwarranted and totally ludicrous.
Hank made a good analogy and ESPN should not have done anything. What Hank said was not hateful; it was descriptive and to the point. Other postings here reflect the strange defense of Obama as having done great things to help people; i.e., the auto industry. Capitalism would have taken care of the auto industry without spending billions of cash the country had to borrow! Democrats and liberals; please explain how the extreme debt our nation faces will do anything but bring our nation down! What will be left is the broken shell of GM and Chrysler and no one having any money to buy a car or truck!
Hank did nothing wrong; Obama has put this nation on a downward spiral! Hank was kind; he could have said Obama is the worst President we have ever seen and he would be right!