How Does Bankruptcy Become a Compelling Story? People, People, People

Depression Bread Line (1999) by George Segal (For more on Segal, click here)

The royal baby, and for that matter, Kim and Kanye's newborn, seem to be getting more coverage in the media than Detroit declaring bankruptcy. It's not because Americans don't care about Detroit, a city that has been in decline for decades. Or that the public knows that the bankruptcy is a political issue that has upset city employees and is being challenged in court. (For more on this, read the excellent story by John Cassidy on The New Yorker website.) But the real reason is clear and simple: we relate more to people than to complex ideas. While many in Detroit would be affected by this bankruptcy, we don't know them. The idea of a city going bankrupt is just too big to process, and hard to believe and understand. But everyone can relate to mothers and babies, and I think most Americans have heard of Kate and Kim.

So how can the media increase the relevance of Detroit's bankruptcy? The old-fashioned way: just keep talking to people, digging for the most compelling stories that illustrate the impact of the bankruptcy. Perhaps focus on one or two Detroit families and create something akin to a reality series that traces their past, present, and future in the Motor City. Or maybe, find one business, big or small, that is emblematic of the decline, and create a series based on its experiences. There are many ways to humanize the story of Detroit, but at the heart of all them is its people.

The Soup Meets Good Day NY

Left to right: Scotto, McHale, and Kelly (Source: Good Day NY FB page)

If you have ever watched The Soup on E!, you know that one of Joel McHale's favorite targets is Greg Kelly, the candid, comedic, and sometimes clumsy host of Good Day NY. Whether spilling a large drink on his co-host (Rosanna Scotto), hitting her in the head with a hula hoop, or interjecting one of his many non sequiturs, Greg is one of the funniest and most unpredictable morning talk show hosts today. So this morning, when McHale visited Good Day NY to promote his upcoming movie and Klondike bars, you'd expect to see Kelly provide a little payback. But aside from an illustration that depicts Joel as a large monkey, it was quite civil. At the end, they both thanked each other for the reciprocal publicity their shows provided.

So does that mean there's no such thing as bad publicity? Absolutely not. But often, if you embrace who you are and don't take yourself too seriously, you'll connect more with people and reap the rewards.