That was fast - and typical of the power of investigative journalism.
Over the weekend, directors at CBS discussed if CEO Leslie Moonves should "step aside" while the corporation investigates sexual harassment allegations.
It was the investigative journalism of Ronan Farrow in The New Yorker which triggered this disruption. And investigative reporting could prove more of a game-changer than anything created in tech.
It had been the investigative reporting of John Carreyrou at The Wall Street Journal that set in play the beginning of the end of Girl CEO Elizabeth Holmes and the imaginary technology of startup Theranos. Holmes has been indicted for various forms of fraud. If convicted or if she takes a plea, she could wind up in prison.
And Gabriel Sherman's book "The Loudest Voice in the Room" began throwing shade on the cable television media genius Roger Ailes. The door was opened to look beneath the roly-poly surface.
So scary was Sherman's book to the establishment that Ailes' personal public relations representative Bob Dilenschneider tried to distract from it by the supposed stealth move of paying big bucks to promote a vanity biography of Ailes.
The caper was detected. Here are the details from ADWeek. Consequently, more attention was created for "The Loudest Voice in the Room." The Ailes' brand became vulnerable.
One takeaway from the recent developments triggered by investigative reporting is that those focused on reform must consider simply digging versus other kinds of tactics such as class action lawsuits and protests.
The very old adage is really true: The pen is mightier than the sword. Sure, traditional journalism jobs are disappearing. The New York Daily News just sent half the newsroom packing.
However, well-researched articles and books have become weapons of mass destruction. Because of digital technology, they can be distributed without an establishment media outlet. The classic example of that has been Susan Fowler's blog about alleged sexual harassment at Uber that helped end the reign of rogue CEO Travis Kalanick.
When it comes to the equally important matter of individual careers the pen is also mightier and more affordable than other kinds of promotional outreach.
That's why I recommend to the over-50 I coach to publish their way to a fresh chapter in how they can earn a good living. No, that doesn't have to be a traditional book. The risk there is major. Without top public relations support to promote the book, the publication could receive low rankings on Amazon and become a liability in branding.
The more likely formats are e-books, blogging, and sustained posting of well-researched thought pieces on social media such as Twitter, LinkedIn Update, and Medium.
All that creates a positive online presence. Google has become the new resume. Iconic career guide "What Color Is Your Parachute? 2018" explains in detail that reality.
It was my own e-book - Download Over50OutsmartingYourComfortZone - which brought in new business for my ghostwriting thought leadership content on aging. That profit center has been as much a revenue producer as coaching per se.
Reflection: The written word stands toe to toe with myriad other forms of power.
Coaching, auditing, lecturing, and writing/ghostwriting thought leadership content on ageism.
For individual coaching – sliding scale fees. Complimentary initial consultation. The displaced over-50 get back to work. Mature professionals who are working advance their careers. Contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.
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