Sometimes, It's Best NOT to Respond

I often get asked PR-related questions during casual conversations and though I don't specialize in crisis management PR, I think some concepts are fairly easy to understand.

One of those concepts is: you don't have to respond to everything bad "they" say about you.

"They" could be critics or the competition or just John and Joan Q. Public. We've talked about how to avoid no comment if a reporter asks you, but if nobody comes a'calling to get your take on a negative situation, sometimes it's best to just be silent -- especially if the situation is just gossip.

You have decide when a response is worth the trouble. Here are three things to keep in mind:

• Responding to a controversy extends the life of the controversy. If you come out with a statement to an issue that nobody has asked you about, you've just given a fresh perspective to that controversy. Now the story is that you responded to something that may not have grabbed many people's attention the first go-round, but they're paying attention to it now. If you don't address it, it may fade away on its own.
• If it's not libel or slander, consider letting it go. If it's not serious enough to take the issue to a court of law, ignore your first instinct to post on your blog or Tweet or write a Facebook post to give 'em the whatfor. A lot of times, that's they what "they" want anyway -- to get a rise out of you.
• Keep your poker face on. Don't let them know that you have been affected by whatever they have to say, again, if it's not libelous, slanderous or will somehow affect the life of your business or organization.

The moral of the story? In this digital age, everyone has a platform to state their opinion. Decide whether a response to a negative opinion is worth the effort of your attention.

Bridgette Outten is a journalist and publicity strategist with The Write Vision Group, Inc. With a background in print media, she has written thousands of articles for newspapers and online publications. At The Write Vision Group, Bridgette consults with nonprofits and small businesses about how to get their programs and efforts in the news. Meanwhile, she blogs on all things journalism.