It was a nightmare scenario for any public figure, let alone the perceived front-runner in the Toronto mayoral race. The Toronto Sun black-lined a story about a 52-minute conversation between candidate Rob Ford and a Toronto man – someone clearly upset, appealing for help in obtaining a family doctor and prescription pain-killers. The call was recorded, and the tape proffered around to, as it turns out, several media outlets. The Sun was the one that ran the story. Ford is quoted saying “I’ll try, buddy … I’ll try.” Ka-boom. But one thing about Rob Ford – he never shies away from ugly situations, so it wasn’t at all surprising to see him quoted in direct response to the leaked transcript, in the same story. This is crucial. By availing himself, Ford ensured that his side of the story was right there in black and white within the same article. “I just basically said what he wanted to hear,” Ford explained, pointing out that he tried to get off the phone several times, concerned by the man’s comment that he could “see (Ford’s) house” during the conversation. Later, in a news conference, Ford revealed that he had filed a formal complaint with police after he began fearing for his family’s safety, as had Etobicoke-Centre MPP Donna Cansfield, who also claims having been harassed by the man involved. Despite his somewhat of a loose cannon reputation, Ford has, over his years on city council, shown himself to be consistently frank with all comers, and a champion of law-and-order type issues. So he was in an excellent position to shoot down any suggestions that he would actually try and procure drugs for somebody (“I don’t know any drug dealers … I don’t even know what this s**t – that’s what I call drugs – this s**t’ is”). Ford also played it well expressing empathy for the man (“I personally feel sorry for him … he needs help”) even though he admitted feeling “set up” as a result of the whole thing. I think Ford’s track record of candour and willingness to try and help anyone who seeks his assistance will stand him in good stead, and combined with his quick communications response, this will be a colourful but brief footnote in the 2010 mayoral campaign.

What's your call?

“Give the people what they want” says the old show business adage. Being President of the United States during the worst environmental disaster in the country’s history is no vaudeville act, but nonetheless, Barack Obama had to leave his audience satisfied with his first national address from the Oval Office this week. First, a few style points regarding his speech about the spill in the gulf. I couldn’t help but note Obama’s militaristic framing of the effort to contain the spill, referring to the “battle plan” and that more environmental damage will come “before this siege is done.” Perhaps he’s hoping for a bit of a “wartime President” bump in the polls amid the disaster, like his predecessor got in the days following 9/11? And what’s the deal with the hand gestures? Gotta dial that back when sitting behind the desk in a tight head-and-shoulders camera shot. On more substantive points, Obama did a solid job on the three crisis communications fundamentals: what happened, what are you doing about it, and what are you doing to make sure it doesn’t happen again? He had a good raft of specific “proof points” to offer, and with respect to the “ass kicking” he talked about in a TV interview last week, Obama made clear that BP would be made to pay (into a compensation fund overseen by an independent third party) and that the Minerals Management Service would be overhauled and replaced by a new agency that would be “the oil industry’s watchdog, not its partner.” Obama was also careful to make clear that he understood the impact of the spill on the people of the gulf coast region. Empathy with those affected must be central to any crisis communications effort. And he didn’t hesitate to use the issue to reiterate and accelerate his commitment to clean energy investments, getting downright JFKesque about it: “Now is the moment for this generation to embark on a national mission to unleash America’s innovation and seize control of our own destiny,” he said, framing the challenge as not unlike those of World War II and the space race. In all, Obama struck the right notes and gave the right assurances – right down to pledging that 90 per cent of the oil leaking from the well should be getting captured within the “coming weeks and days.” A gutsy move, and a target that had better be reached – or else Obama will own the unfulfilled promise.

What's your call?

BP CEO Tony Hayward dropped the ball yet again this week when he went to Washington to face a furious administration. Yesterday, he was grilled by members of the House of Representatives, and time and time again, he denied having either involvement in or recollection of numerous decision points and other issues surrounding the gulf blowout. During the course of the afternoon, he noted that he is neither “a cement engineer,” “a drilling engineer” or “an oceanographic scientist” in response to questions from members of Congress who grew steadily more frustrated. Hayward’s tone was always calm and measured, and he did preface his appearance by reading a statement of regret for the spill, but his overall manner and reticence (“I am not stonewalling”) did favours for neither himself nor his company.

What's your call?

Bob Reid has been a journalist and media advisor to a former Ontario Premier. He now is the chief media strategist and principle media coach in the Corporate and Public Affairs practice at Veritas.

The anabolic steroid scandal now gripping the University of Waterloo and its football team threatened to sack the much-vaunted institution’s reputation. After one of UW’s players was arrested for allegedly dealing anabolic steroids, the administration had the whole team tested – and found that nine players had been using performance-enhancing drugs. In response, the university voluntarily suspended the football program for an entire year. That ticked off many of the players and their families, some of whom threatened legal action and staged a PR counter-offensive to try and get the university to reverse course. But that seems unlikely, as the university’s provost made clear at week’s end in several published interviews. Is it the right decision? Well, think about what distinguishes UW in the public mind? Top-notch research. High academic standards, particularly in computer sciences and engineering. Innovative alliances with corporations and business figures. (It’s where Mike Lazaridis, as a student, started RIM.) Let’s face it: it’s not football. Yes, cancelling the season is a drastic measure, and it will hurt the university’s athletics programs in the short term. But in the long run, it will save UW’s reputation, which could have been severely tarnished if it was seen to be acting in any other way but quickly, responsibly and aggressively. “There’s a larger message we need to send with this action,” said Bob Copeland, the university’s director of athletics.

What's your call?

Lying is never a good policy. It is doubly a bad policy in a cultural context that demands personal integrity and high moral standards. Consider (just in case you haven’t lately) sumo wrestling. In Japan, the double-wide dreadnoughts of the sumo doyho are treated with the kind of respect and pampering typically reserved for demi-gods, royalty, and Kobe beef cattle. In return, they are expected to live by the sumo’s strict code of conduct, both on and off the ring. So as news broke that gambling on baseball (among other illegal activities) is widespread among sumo wrestlers, their handlers and their hairdressers (seriously), the sport has been shaken to its very foundations. The scandal got its start with Kotomitsuki, a wrestler who this week was more or less voluntarily suspended from the upcoming Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament and who is indefinitely banned from sumo pending a police investigation. But Kotomitsuki’s shame is compounded by the fact that he initially denied any involvement in gambling when questioned by police. So now he’s not just a gambler in the public mind, but a liar. It recalls a case of poor conduct in another field of sport where a premium is put on integrity – namely, golf. (Remember Tiger Woods?) Fumble, Kotomitsuki and whoever was giving him advice.

What's your call?

Joe Chidley has served as the editor of Canadian Business Magazine for over nine years. He is now the senior vice-president of Veritas and oversees the Corporate and Public affairs practice.