Jeremy Gaines is having a bad week. You see, it falls on Jeremy to field the press madness surrounding Don Imus. Having just announced yesterday afternoon that they were pulling the show, MSNBC is now trying to exit damage control mode — and as you can imagine, the cable network's chief communications officer (aka the "spokesman" you see giving all the soundbites) is on the front lines to make this whole situation go away.
He's been having many a meeting, whether in person or via conference call, with everyone from Dan Abrams to Steve Capus. And according to most of the MSNBC insiders we spoke with, Jeremy is impressing peers and brass alike.
"We're accommodating them," Jeremy said about advertisers pulling out of Imus' broadcast. Which makes sense, given that MSNBC has no choice at this point … given the show's cancellation and all.
We're told by one high-level network insider that Jeremy has been given clear instructions – though he was in agreement – that the best thing to do is admit to mistakes when confronted about them and convey a "system of transparency, where we're [MSNBC] listening to critics."
Otherwise, the goal is to shift perspective, which hasn't been easy for the mouthpiece, especially since Dan Abrams lashed out at Fox News, belittling their criticism of the network.
Another source says the current talking points should soon shift to "non-negative" topics. That is, no more Imus. "It'll be a done deal soon enough," says our insider, "and [MSNBC] will be tired of talking about it. Instead of welcoming comments about [Imus], they'll start reshaping their answers to something like Keith Olbermann and how well he's doing in the ratings."
For now, however, the focus remains on Imus. And Jeremy will be expected to weigh in on whether CBS Radio joins in the firing squad and drops Imus as well.
Editorial Director
Impressing peers and management alike? With what? His gross incompetence? You think that whole deal has been well-managed? I'd sure as hate to see it if it was badly managed!
And the "good ratings" of Keith Olbermann? Yeah, coming in 2nd, 3rd, 4th every night, oh yeah, great ratings there. Please. Sounds like MSNBC isn't in the spin cycle-it's spun off into some other dimension of it's own making where reality doesn't entire in the picture.
Having a bad week? Cry me a river. How about all the PR people who have had to deal with manufactured crises and media circuses that NBC news instigates? Good grief. Mr. Pot, please come to a white courtesy phone, we have a Mr. Kettle on the line for you.
Jeremy, when the smoke clears let me buy you a beer and introduce you to all the flacks on the other end of NBC's pinata-bashing. We'll share some war stories but, believe me, yours will sound like a spitball fight by comparison.
I'm just glad that on the eve of his telethon, instead of raising money for kids with cancer (as he does EVERY YEAR), at least Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson are happy.
Race Baiters- 1
Kids with Cancer- 0
Good job, MSNBC… no wonder you're dead last!
Jeremy Gaines? Handle a crisis? Is this a joke? April Fool's Day was two weeks ago. The PR department at NBC News doesn't handle anything-they take orders from executives who THINK they know how to do PR in a crisis. And Gaines and his boss Gollust-go-lightly wouldn't know crisis PR if it fell on them.
Is Jossip on NBC News' payroll? First off-the network should be ashamed by the way this situation was handled. Imus on Sharpton for two hours??? Capus looking stiff on the air as he droned on and on? This is a job well-done? All decisions made on this reek of Zucker, Capus and Griffin. Gaines is really weak and clueless to self-promote himself on this one.
Why would Gaines want to self promote himself on this? Someone should use Imus-gate as a case study in what NOT to do in a crisis. How does Cory Shields feel about all of this back-slapping that Gaines is doing for himself?
The NBC News PR department is a joke-the only ones that they 0ut-shine are the hooters at CBS under Gil "Bing" Schwartz's watchful eye and that isn't saying much.
Oh this is classic. Gaines is giddy over being allowed in meetings with executives where he of course agreed with every bad decision they made!
Gaines is impressing peers and brass? The same brass that made all these bone-headed decisions which Gaines agreed with? What a surprise! Peers? What peers? The "your wish is my command Jeff/Steve/Phil/any NBC executive who tells me what to do/Allison Gollust? Shocker.
Hey Guru Gaines-here is a PR tip for you-don't take credit for a fiasco. You will look foolish and call more attention to all the mistakes MSNBC made.
Mr Gaines had to make lemonade out of a lemon but MSNBC shouldn't start touting Olbermann so fast since he is the next IED set to explode on NBCU.
It is interesting that NBC gave in to people like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson on the day the Duke Lacrosse players were declared innocent. It is deafening the lack of appology by Sharpton and Jackson about what they said about those athletes and the lack of remorse by Sharpton about what he said about former DA Pagones in the Twana Brawley fiasco.
Imus was an insensitive idiot that should have been set down by the way he treated Contessa Brewer but NBC should never give in to racists on the other side like Jackson and Sharpton. No one should talk to Jackson and Sharpton until they appologize for their insensitive and racist remarks.
As a pr person, there is one thing i know for sure. anytime someone is out there touting their "greatness" it usually means they are either in a heap of trouble or are they trying to cover up a complete mess. Which one is it oh great one Gaines?
Isn't wanting credit for this PR fiasco kind of like wanting to be known as the person who steered the Titanic into that iceberg?
Forget about gaines-he is a small player with no juice at all. But Allison should be hiding under her desk. This whole debacle shows how weak they really are - no intelligent PR hand would ever let this situation ride out the way they did. This reveals quite a bit about their professional capabilities.