In ancient times, messengers/couriers had to run distance, arrive exhausted and get killed . Message-received more than often turns out different than message-perceived. Try it the next time you have a party, after a few drinks. Start a gossip, see how it takes on a life of its own unrecognizably at the other end.
Even in our age of Tera-bite broadband, lightning-fast fiber and millions of podcasters, we still haven’t done a good job at communicating. Folks like Reagan, Noonan, Gergen, Psaki hard-earned their money. In their capable hands, message-intended has higher chance of getting passed audience’s pre-conceived notion.
“The President said…”, he intends and means this and that. Please do not misconceive or prejudge.
Rephrasing and repeating.
In modern times, Press Secretary got fact-checked all the time at once. Not killed, just “fired”. Unknown unknowns.
Right before April 30, 1975, Dr Hung Nguyen held a press conference, paid for out of his own pocket, plus some pocket change from a sympathizer. The embassy staff of SVN had already fled, after cleaning out the safe.
The WH itself held a press conference, announcing that the war was over, and ALL personnel had been evacuated. No fact checks. Turned out there were a contingent rear guard troop on the Embassy roof (at that tail end of the war, people looted and burned oil drum worth of US currency).
Lucky for Kissinger, who lived well into his old age. In contrast to ancient times when rulers did not have to abide by the Rule of Law. In today’s charged atmosphere, having a heart in the right place is not enough. One has to be a diplomat, politician and a press secretary all at once. Don’t say “genocide”. Too violent and offensive. Don’t say “murder of innocent children.” (mass shooter).
Those are just two examples of how emotional language could stir. It’s there in the dictionary, but once it’s sent, received and perceived. oh boy oh boy, there is no stopping. I did not say staffers at the SVN Embassy “embezzled” to start their new lives in America. Had I written “staffers stole from their struggling country’s coffer whatever meager money for rice run”, I would have stepped on toes. It’s ironic that as a victim of war, I now have to be more “diplomatic” than the corrupt diplomats themselves.
Somebody did something to someone. And that someone died, unable to send any message from the grave.
Yet in front of the multiple mikes, I phones, watching eyes and notebooks, we have to restrain ourselves. Let Karma and the Court do their work. Justice grinds slowly but surely. There will be apprehension and compensation (hopefully with interests).
There will be punishment for crime committed. That’s what jails are for.
All I want is to have clarity of thoughts, warmth of heart and empathic language to convey my sense of sadness and sorrow. Good intentions and speed of delivery are never enough. Message-intended more than often gets mis-perceived.
In Asia, it’s not what you give, but how you do it.
Today, we’re all un/disqualified as a messenger. Where is your pouch, bike and helmet!
Let AI do the job. Can it do the job? In Joe vs the volcano, Tom Hanks’ supervisor from Hell keeps repeating himself over the phone: ” He gets the job. But can he do the job.”
Only when its (AI) heart is in the right place. Like Reagan’s City on the Hill, Noonan’s Characters count, Gergen’s the fire in next gen, and Psaki…. let ‘me be clear….
Repeat, reframe and even then, message from the heart still gets misperceived once received.
Thang Nguyen 555 