On Oct. 25, Kelly wrote a blog article for the Marie Claire website titled, “Should 'Fatties' Get a Room? (Even on TV?).” Kelly writes about her disgust with the new CBS show Mike & Molly, which focuses on a couple that met at Overeaters Anonymous. Kelly’s harsh words and views of the show and obese people in general sparked a media frenzy that has not died down.
Kelly’s post now has more than 3,000 comments, hundreds of news articles, thousands of tweets and Facebook comments, and 28,000 emails sent to Marie Claire critiquing the article. The fact that one blog post has created this mass amount of media attention proves the power of social media, both good and bad.
Rather than delete the post from the Marie Claire website, Editor in Chief Joanna Cole said, “Maura Kelly is a very provocative blogger…She was an anorexic herself and this is a subject she feels very strongly about.” Cole has completely backed Kelly and the post remains on the website, but with an apology added at the bottom. This apology just added fuel to the fire and gave people more of a reason to be upset.
From a public relations perspective, Marie Claire has taken the wrong steps in burying this awful catastrophe of online journalism. They continue to back an individual who has insulted thousands and made a mockery of the magazine. The article could have come down immediately after someone on the editorial staff realized this form of bigotry was put online, and then a sincere apology should have been posted. Many readers have already claimed to discontinue reading the magazine, and more are bound to follow.
What can be learned from this
Social media, while it may be a new tool in the communication realm, can have a very influential impact on the image and perception of an individual or company. Kelly’s blog post drew a mass amount of negative public attention. The post, mixed with bad public relations practices, could severely hurt Marie Claire readership. The magazine needs to evaluate the necessity of the blog post and listen to the thousands of people who have been hurt by its content.
In public relations, communication is vital. For Marie Claire, general outrage ensued from a single blog post, and the magazine failed to properly listen and respond. Without communicating to the public, an organization can create a big predicament that could be fiscally damaging. The tightrope walk of public relations is difficult, but a company must monitor public opinions and concerns in order to stay afloat and not demolish a brand image that takes years to build.
