Dear Femke, your weapon is pointing the wrong direction.

The summer of 2019

It has been a turbulent summer for the mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema. In mid-July, the son of the mayor was arrested for carrying an illegal (fake) weapon and causing a public nuisance. She may was hoping to get away with the issue, but it turned out to not be the case. The media delved into the story. 

The question rises how to save your reputation in a sensitive case like this? Did the mayor and her communication professionals tackle the problem correctly? What can we learn from them? In this blog, I will give you more insides on this particular case and will critically reflect their communication strategy.

Source: Het Parool, 2019

What happened?

On the 14^th of August 2019, the tabloid paper De Telegraaf publicized two articles considering the case of an armed robbery committed by the son of Amsterdam’s mayor, Femke Halsema. Not only does the newspaper argue that the son of the mayor committed a crime, but they also suggest that the mayor wanted to sweep the affair under the rug.

These two articles triggered a response. Femke Halsema sends an open letter to all citizens of Amsterdam. The tone of voice is harsh. In the letter, she admits that her son and friends entered an empty houseboat and carried an illegal fake gun. Moreover, she confronts De Telegraaf. Not only for publishing misinformation, but also for condemning an innocent person. The mayor also argues that there is no evidence for asking the police and the justice to under wrap the case.

Source: Adformatie, 2019

Both, the published articles and the open letter, led to massive coverage and responses from the media, citizens and even politicians. But which lessons can we extract from this case? Did she respond correct or incorrect? What can you do differently during a crisis and how to save your or your (organizations) reputation?

What did Femke and her team do wrong? 

• Slow response: Only responding one month after the incident led to a critical approach by De Telegraaf. The golden rule in crisis communication is to react directly and independently when it comes to harmful news. Results also showed a welcoming side effect: If you act actively, you have the power to frame the issue as media content is often influenced by PR in some way.
• Personalization: In a sensitive topic like this, it is better to separate the roles. Be a mayor, no mother. Yes, recent studies showed that there is a trend to be personal as a politician, but this time, it turned out to be the wrong approach. Femke Halsema was framed in different media as a concerned mother rather than a credible mayor.
• Repeating negative frame: De Telegraaf framed the story by presenting it like Femke Halsema wanted to keep the case silent. In her open letter, she repeated the negative ‘under the rug’ frame several times. Studies have shown that it is better to not repeat this type of negative wording to avoid the negative spiral and more importantly, act responsibly. 

What went well?

• Neutral place: The choice to deal with the matter on neutral territory. The case is brought to court in Harlem instead of Amsterdam.
• Use the power of the media: The open letter was well received by other media platforms, because of the (already) great impact of the Telegraaf articles. Newsworthiness is one of the most well-known news values which stated that if something that has been in the news already, this leads to more media coverage.  

What lessons can we learn? 

Dear reader, please keep in mind that a reputation can be easily affected. Please act active and not passive and never forget the golden rule. If you act actively, you have the power to offer information yourself to media and the public. You have the control to frame the issue.

If an issue becomes too personal, it is better to let someone else speak for you. Don’t forget that your lawyer can speak for you or let your spokesman take the stance.

Use the power of the media. Once a well-known media already covers your topic, you should use other media to cover your own story. Once in you made it into news, it is difficult to get out of the news. Take the benefits of the media.

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About Naomi Horstkamp

Naomi Horstkamp is a communication student from the University of Amsterdam, especially interested in the field of political communication. Public relations, journalism and sports are her interests and she loves short bio's.