I've spent my entire professional life as a television network publicity and corporate communications executive at such places as Fox, GSN and Lifetime TV. I get a rush dealing with live broadcasts, tight deadlines and press conferences. I think I enjoy my job so much because I love working with the press. In addition to all that, I enjoy being an industry blogger and a social media expert and leading my own consulting firm in Los Angeles. 
A Search About Stereotypes
Social media is the wild frontier, however, being involved in it doesn’t mean that the rules of libel and slander do not apply. They do and my biggest fear lies with Mr. Joe Public for he is not a trained journalist. As such he is unaware that he can be sued for things he says about others on his Facebook page. This point leads me to today’s PR Tip – Be careful what you post about others.
Here’s today’s takeaway - Libel is injury to reputation. So that funny post or comment about how so and so is fat, ugly, looks like a dork or is affiliated with some type of political party can get you in trouble if not today then tomorrow.
What led me to write this post is that I’m seeing more labels and stereotypical messaging than ever before which leads me to think it is becoming a trend. In fact, I fell prey to it. Last week, a Facebook friend was stating his opinion about Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan on his wall. I made a positive comment about her and then I was received a comment from someone I didn’t know at all who labeled me as a feminist liberal who’s probably never been married. I did not like how this person labeled me – he didn’t know me, but already he came up with these assumptions. Yes, I am single, but I am not bitter and I am not a feminist. I believe in equal pay for equal work and I would love to be married someday. Labeling is just too easy and most forget that they can get in trouble for it.
Besides calling people “names,” stereotyping someone without presenting facts can also get you in trouble. Well, to go one step further…any assumptions can get you into trouble. I remember being involved in an Ad campaign once where images of homely, odd ball, overweight and old people were photographed (all in jest of course) to represent the viewers not watching the network. I tell you the day after these Ads appeared they came down from public outrage. So be very careful what general comments you make about someone.
Another recent example of this is the photo (and I’m not going to show it) of Jesse James wearing a Nazi hat. Allegedly, he was at a party and someone took that photo, again all in jest. But, this so-called friend posted it somewhere and now it lives on the Internet forever and Mr. James has to defend that he is not a racist probably forever.
In summary, watch your words, especially in the heat of battle. Be sure to take a couple of breaths before you post a comment after one that you find so imbecilic. Make sure your comments do not injury anyone’s reputation, especially your own. For you never know if one day you might run for a government office and all those slanderous things you said in jest may appear front and center again and not in good way.
Always Looking Out for Your Reputation,
Cindy
Cindy, knowing you, I actually think you ARE a feminist. I certainly am, and we should be proud of it! It’s yet another nasty stereotype — that feminists are all man-haters or lesbians. Not true. We just believe in equal opportunity and not degrading women — which considering “feminist” a dirty word actually does. Please don’t fall into the trap set by those who would like to scare women back into the Dark Ages of having their lives completely defined by men.