had the opportunity to share perspectives on media, whistle blowing and manipulation at a two day national seminar (Media Manthan) conducted by St. Aloysius College, Mangalore on January 21- 22, 2011.

1. Whistle Blowing, Media and Manipulation –
Don’t Shoot the Messenger
National Seminar On Media and Manipulation
St. Aloysius College, Mangalore
Aniisu K Verghese - India Internal Communication Lead
Sapient Corporation
January 21, 2011

2. Disclaimer
Due care has been taken while
preparing this presentation but the
author cannot be held responsible for
any misuse or misrepresentation of
information. The views expressed in
this presentation are those of the
author and do not reflect those of the
organization he works for. Data for
this presentation has been drawn from
various sources and is gratefully
acknowledged. 2

3. Presentation Covers
Introduction
Context
Media and the ‘new’ normal
Recent cases
Your role – individual and organization
Final take

4. Introduction Aniisu K Verghese
Twelve years in the evolving
internal communication and
Roles of an internal social media domains.
- Blogger, educationist, speaker
communicator
- Internal journalist
- Brand guardian
- Company ‘s conscience
keeper
- Culture ambassador
- Internal media manager
- Message reviewer
- Transparency monitor
With access to information comes
responsibility

5. Whistle Blowing and Media
Manipulation
A whistle blower is a person who raises a concern
about alleged wrongdoing occurring in a
organization, private or public or agency which is
expected to be operating within the bounds of the law.
Media Manipulation often involve the suppression
of information or points of view:
- by crowding them out
- by inducing other people or groups of people to stop
listening to certain arguments, or
- by simply diverting attention elsewhere
(Source: Wikipedia)
Whistle blowing is an effect – a ‘safety release
valve’ for organizations and a POSITIVE sign

6. Context
Truth vs Propaganda

7. Journalist ranked below
plumber and electrician
In India, success doesn't readily translate into
trust: it must go along with impeachable Readers Digest,
reputations March 2010

8. CEOs Among Least Trusted
Source: 2010 Edelman Trust Barometer

9. People Seek Transparency and
Trust
Source: 2010 Edelman Trust Barometer

10. Indian Media Losing Trust
“Indian media has been losing its
credibility and trust among the people.
The study has noticed a sharp drop in
trust over the past two years in
television news in India. However,
newspapers are ranked higher than other
mediums in terms of credible news.”
- 2010 Edelman Trust Barometer

11. Do you get the complete
picture?
Extract from a company survey -
72% people enjoyed Company X’s anniversary
celebrations
98% people feel proud to work for Company X
96% are excited to be part of Company X’s
amazing journey now and in the future
95% are aware of how our culture and values
have transformed and evolved Company X over
time
What you don’t know can hurt you

12. Media and the ‘new’ normal
The issues and reality today

13. Media is the prey, not the
predator
Power is in the hands of those who know how
to leverage media
Flynn Remedios is Rakhi Sawant's
Official Spokesperson
Bollywood actress and mega-brand, item
queen and dancing sensation - Rakhi
Sawant, has appointed senior journalist,
internet marketing and branding expert and
publicist Flynn Remedios as her Media
Manager, Publicist and official
spokesperson. He will also oversee her
online imaging and branding efforts.
Source:
http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/entertainment/
2008112115847.htm

14. Increased access to technology

15. Age of sting operations

16. Media sources aren’t the same
anymore
•34% of 200 million bloggers post opinions about products and brands
•78% of consumers trust peer recommendations whereas only 14%
trust advertisements
- Eric Qualman, author of Socialnomics

17. Crowdsourcing feedback and
social action

18. You ARE the media
Citizen journalism has transformed news reporting
People can share press releases directly

19. Social networks keep digital
news always alive

20. There are no ‘top secret’ e-
e-
mails
Any internal communication can find its
way into the web world

21. Recent cases
Lessons we learnt

22. Wikileaks ONLY posted the
cables Bradley Manning, 23
Had access to SIPRNet—the
Secret Internet Protocol Router
Network—used by the U.S.
Department of Defense and
Department of State
So did New York Times and other
publications worldwide…….

23. Manipulation That Eroded Trust
Hero worship and lack of
transparency burried Satyam

24. Private conversations don’t
always stay that way
Tata’s image takes a
beating with the
‘Radia’ tapes
controversy

25. You Have a Role To Play
Get familiar, ask questions, avoid becoming a victim

26. Seek a Balanced Perspective
Don’t take any news at face value
Ask the right questions
Go behind the news
Get your facts right
Focus on the issue, not the personality
Use media responsibly

27. Stay Ahead of the Game
Protect the whistle blower – policy, ombudsman
Get familiar with latest trends and technologies
Understand your employees
Have early warning mechanisms
Address issues when they arise
Be open to feedback
Build measures to become a responsible
organization
Become a role model and ethical company

28. Final Take
Summary

29. Media Manipulation
Whistle blowing = a good sign

30. Keep in touch
Blog: www.intraskope.wordpress.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/aniisu
Linkedin: http://in.linkedin.com/in/aniisu
E-mail: intraskope@yahoo.com