Tag Archives: cancel culture

Online reputation management, , , , , , , , , ,
Internet Law

We have seen significantly increasing cases of reputational damage resulting from social media commentary or perceived inappropriate behavior in the workplace. The possibility of being canceled is something that everyone with a public presence must take seriously—and through social media at the least, most people do have a public presence. The damage occurs quickly, and it can last for years, with devastating financial and emotional impact.

Merriam-Webster noted the emerging use of the term “cancel culture” in a “Words We’re Watching” post back in 2019.  A New York Times podcast on The Daily is a great two-episode feature delving into “cancel culture.” (Covering numerous important instances of the phenomenon, The Daily offers a detailed and nuanced examination of its history and implications.)

As it has become so easy to place material about oneself or one’s view in the public square, there is a temptation to approach it more casually. We advise carefully considering all the potential ramifications of your actions and speech, including the impact and potential response from those beyond your own communities.  Racist, sexist or discriminatory statements are a clear red flag that often result in cancellation for businesses as well as individuals. Others include sharing sexually explicit material, which led to author and New Yorker writer Jeffrey Toobin being cancelled, and violent or potentially illegal acts or threats, as those who stormed the Capitol learned. Avoiding objectionable behaviors is of course critical, but we’d recommend being very cautious about commenting upon or associating oneself with controversial statements.

My article in Medium, What It Means to Be “Canceled,” sheds more light on this issue.

 
 
Crisis Management, , , , , , , ,
Alison Roman reputation crisis

When we first read about Alison Roman’s critical comments regarding her successful peers Chrissy Teigen and Marie Kondo in an interview last month, we knew a reputation crisis was bubbling up for the popular cookbook author and Instagram star. And sure enough, that crisis has unfolded in fairly predictable fashion on social media and Page Six over the past few weeks. Roman’s comments elicited an emotional response from Teigen, as well as an outpouring of social media outrage from Teigen and Kondo’s many fervent supporters. Roman sought to quell the storm with a public apology to Teigen followed by a second, more robust concession a few days later, but at that point it was clear that the damage to her reputation would be considerable.

The episode currently dominates search results for Roman’s name and accounts for a solid third of her Wikipedia page, and we weren’t surprised when the New York Times announced that they were suspending Roman’s column. Her comments don’t fit with the tone the Times adheres to, and if the newspaper did nothing in response to the outcry, it would risk the perception that it was endorsing what she had said. However, with Teigen calling for Roman to be reinstated and the Times confirming that Roman’s column will return eventually, it seems like a compromise of sorts has emerged from the tumult.

Resolution

Regardless of whether she ends up returning to her Times column or landing at another outlet, Roman is making a smart move by choosing to focus on her newsletter for now. She’ll be able to take a step back from the social media fray, reflect on what she’s experienced and learned over the past month, and work on building stronger and more direct connections with her own (and many) followers. The ultimate lesson that we can all take away from this is that, in the age of “cancel culture,” everyone needs to be extra careful about what they say about others in the public space—especially if you are a high-profile figure talking about your high-profile peers.

As fans, we welcome her return to public life.