X-Message-Number: 3827
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 11:11:18 -0500 (EST)
From: Andro <>
Subject: Training, professionalism, and the media
Although the science and practice of cryonics is obviously of greatest
importance, there are other aspects of our movement which desperately
need further study. Clearly, not everyone has mastered the ABCs of
Public Relations.
With respect to Keith Lynch, I wouldn't call the Day One story a "hatchet
job" - it was light-weight journalism that went for easy color: the man
preaching deathlessness, who learnt all his science at embalming school; the
true believer saying "I trust this man, I believe in this man, like people
believe in Christ; I take the pills..."; the fire-protection helmet.
True, it had a quotation of "Health Care quackery", but that clearly came
from a fulltime partisan lobbyist. On the other hand, the medical
profession's abilities were questioned by their widely differing analyses
of Life Extension products. Further, both Bill Falloon (with his clear
use of his products, demonstrated by blood samples) and Saul Kent (with
his mother's cryopreservation) came across as absolutely sincere individuals.
I am grateful to both of them for allowing ABC to interview them. True, it
wasn't an ideal piece. But a true hatchet job would have been far more
vicious.
What was lacking was the PR skill to control the program. That means
accepting that it was going to be a light-weight, 10-minute, colorful
piece, and giving them enough material to meet their needs. It also
means developing the practised ability to be calm and self-assured, not
defensive; to lay off fringe ideas that aren't essential to what you're
trying to convey ("terminator" - "cyborg" - "if we put a guillotine
device in there" didn't contribute to an understanding of the rationale
for either Life Extension Foundation or cryonics); and to provide the
media with acceptable references, qualifications, documented successes,
and other items both credible and telegenic.
This, in itself, means professionalising the cryonics movement.
John de Rivaz asserts "if cryonics ... was 'professionalised' in the same
way medicine and the law have been, then prices will rise by ten to
fifteen times the current norm." I would be interested in knowing what
he is basing the assertion on, and why "ten to fifteen times"?
But what if cryonics is 'professionalised' in the same way the computer
industry has been? Wouldn't it be nice to see a comparable rise in
performance, and fall in costs, over the next 50 years?
SUGGESTIONS FOR PROFESSIONALISATION:
1) Workshops in PR, media relations, etc; including videotaped practise in
interviews.
2) Development of guidelines for what to talk about, how to express the
core concepts, what jokes and ironies can be shared (there must be some)
and which will be off-putting to people coming fresh to the whole idea.
3) Designated spokespersons, with the proven experience to talk
productively with the media, who already have informal recognition
throughout the cryonics movement; give them formal professional standing,
to legitimize their comments and lessen the credibility of the inevitable
(and frequently well-meaning) loose cannons; not just as President or
whatever of their own organization, but formal industry-wide recognition.
4) A formal association of all reputable cryonics groups; the association
to be without access to any confidential information; the association to
evenhandedly give exposure to all member groups, and not pass judgement
on their differing structures and priorities, except over concerns about
the professionalism of a member group.
5) An accreditation process for individuals, so that the media, the
public, and people in other cryonics organizations can be sure that they
are dealing with someone who knows what they're talking about: possible
areas to include in the accreditation are: research experience,
cryopreservation work, administration/documentation/analysis of patients,
general business administration, legal standing, medical standing,
mortuary standing, insurance standing, PR/media abilities, fund-raising
abilities.... what else?
6) A lot of people already have a lot of experience in these areas - that
information should be documented, and be readily available to anyone talking
to the media or the public.
7) Perhaps we could recognize gradations of experience/knowledge, and
have Apprentices, Journeymen, and Masters (or whatever non-sexist terms
you prefer). [I personally dislike accreditation and labels, because I
put most weight on the assimilation of direct experience; I have no
letters after my name; but I recognize accreditation's usefulness in our
situation.]
8) We don't need to have our own school, but we do need to document who
can speak with authority.
9) A schedule of what training, practice, volunteer work, etc is
available across the organization; with the hope that, if enough of it
was available in a single location, and structured conveniently, that
people might take 2 weeks or a month as a working vacation and come
somewhere to learn a lot of relevant stuff in a concentrated package,
without having to give up their homes and jobs for it.
NOTE: *I* would like to do such a 2-week or 4-week package, so I have a
strong interest in this idea! I can't offer much, but I would happily
volunteer to teach a 1 or 2 day workshop in Business Management, which is
what I do for a living. It is very very useful for anyone in business,
which is what cryonics is. (Of course, the workshop is completely
experience-based :-)
Always optimistically,
Robin
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