With all the fuss about “Fake News” going around, one must realize that we’ve always had “Fake News” around us. I'm not talking about news stories that are completely made up, I'm talking about heavy "Spin." In our business, it’s called Public Relations.
And all great stories begin with a few grains of truth that make the story believable in the reader's mind. The rest is simply the spin you put on the story that shapes it in the most positive light.
A good PR story is an interesting read, and “Spin” has been with us since the dawn of time. Eric the Red helped settle a new land he called “Greenland” which would have sounded like heaven to those living in a place called “Iceland.”
Napoleon fought a battle in a tiny, insignificant Egyptian town in called “Embabeh” that was 8 miles away from Gizeh and its Pyramids. But Bonaparte understood great PR, and named the skirmish, The Battle of the Pyramids, (instead of the Battle of Embabeh) but also hired an artist to paint himself on a horse surrounded by his glorious troops at the foot of The Great Pyramid itself. As Winston Churchill once said; “History is written by the victors.”
Politicians tell their stories in much the same manner. Here’s an example of great PR spin that snopes.com refutes as blatantly false, but it’s a wonderful and humorous depiction of a PR man making the best out of a bad situation. The story goes like this…
Judy Wallman, a professional genealogy researcher here in southern California, was doing some personal work on her own family tree. She discovered that Harry Reid's great-great uncle, Remus Reid, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889. Both Judy and Harry Reid share this common ancestor.
The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows in Montana territory. On the back of the picture Judy obtained during her research is this inscription: 'Remus Reid, horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1885, escaped 1887, robbed the Montana Flyer six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889.'
So Judy recently e-mailed Congressman Harry Reid for information about their great-great uncle. Believe it or not, Harry Reid's staff sent back the following biographical sketch for her genealogy research:
'Remus Reid was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory. His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad. Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years of his life to government service, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency. In 1889, Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed.'
So the next time you come across “Fake News” – just smile and remember, it’s probably just great PR.