The Economy is Stuff of Greek Tragedy (Editorial)

Paula Abdul would have gotten “whacked” in a Greek play.

The origin of the phrase “don’t kill the messenger” is most often credited to Sophocles’ tragedy “Antigone.” A thorough scouring of several translations of that 442 B.C. text found no matching quotations from any of its characters.

The closest Sophocles comes to using that exact phraseology is in a lengthy speech by a Guard who says:

“… this deed must be reported to thee and not hidden … so here I stand, as unwelcome, as unwilling, well I wot [know]; for no man delights in the bearer of bad news.”

Although the expression is only “themed” in Greek plays – William Shakespeare appears to be the first to coin the phrase verbatim in “King Henry IV” – it is clear ancient messengers were prized for telling the truth.

To put it into modern context, no one cares what Abdul says on Fox’s “American Idol” TV show because it’s all sugar-soaked blather. Of the program’s trio of judges, it’s the approval of blunt-Brit Simon Cowell that contestants really crave.

That’s because he tells it like it is, making his feedback truly valuable.

The same should be true for legitimate news gathering organizations. Mind that there’s a vast distinction between fluff media products or unaccountable citizen reporting online versus bona fide news outlets.

Valuable news resources avoid rose-tinted views (or prejudgments of any shade for that matter), and do not allow their coverage to be compromised by advertising or other influences. It seems silly to have to defend these principles, but a vocal minority has groused in recent months that the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal has focused too keenly on the negative aspects of the current economy.

I am not the editor, and am therefore reluctant to even respond to comments that are misplaced on our business office. At legitimate media outlets, the editors are responsible for the reporting process. But let me briefly offer the following regarding our editorial staff’s coverage:

No one from the Business Journal made bad mortgage loans. The Business Journal did not artificially inflate its value, and then sell that as futures gambling on impossibly brighter days ahead. We don’t trade oil, although the news team occasionally reports on a few snake oil salesmen. We’re not spending a gazillion bucks per day in Iraq, nor ignoring any real solutions to über ridiculous health care costs. We haven’t neglected the region’s infrastructure, or greedily overbuilt neighborhoods.

The Business Journal has simply reflected what’s been actually happening in your market, hopefully with a little more depth and precision than in other places. It’s not my intention for that to sting anyone in particular, but if it does, then so be it.

If there was more candor and accountability in mainstream business reporting maybe some of the market’s problems could have been mitigated.

It’s still true no man (or woman) delights in the bearer of bad news. But we all need to be held accountable for our roles, what ever those may be.

Whether it’s a Greek Chorus chanting “Don’t be too proud,” or a lender telling a client, “you really can’t afford this house,” sometimes the truth is what’s heroic.

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Public Relations 101: if bad things are happening publicly to your company, talk about it. Take it off the table before someone else makes a meal out of it. Consult a P.R. professional. Demonstrate how you are being proactive and take control of the way you are defined in the market place.

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In a pressured economic market, experts say your focus should be on your customers. How are you communicating your value to your core clientele? Management author Ram Charan recently wrote in Fortune magazine that the No. 1 “must” for managing your business in an economic downturn is:

“Keep building. When the top line looks shaky and the bottom line worse, the temptation is to go after discretionary spending. Fine – but do not consider product development, innovation and brand building optional. Sacrificing your future for a slightly more comfortable present is not worth it. If you keep building, you can come back strong.”