“They’re right here. You’re on nationwide tv. Would you want now to apologize to the victims who’ve been harmed by your merchandise?”
Pressed closely by Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg rose to from the listening to desk and turned to the rows of households bearing photographs of family members whose deaths have been related in varied methods to his social media platforms.
There, in entrance of flashing cameras and watching senators, Zuckerberg apologized.
Simply months earlier than this dramatic scene, a number of college presidents sat in related seats to debate antisemitism on their campuses. Two resigned amid the fallout.
These are extraordinary moments on Capitol Hill – however they’re turning into more and more regular.
“Whereas the committees have all the time held oversight hearings, I feel we see these as actually very politically targeted,” Michael Hotra, managing director of strategic communications agency H/Advisors Abernathy, advised PR Each day. “With very, very razor skinny majorities in each the Home and Senate, members are utilizing the oversight and investigation course of to attain political factors, to burnish their status and increase points with their constituents, to place points in entrance of their constituents in a constructive method — and in addition to conduct legit oversight.”
The communications fundamentals required to navigate these hearings are immense, from media coaching earlier than testifying to managing the political fallout within the aftermath.
Hotra defined what’s modified in Congress to extend the frequency and depth of those hearings and the best way to greatest put together leaders for these high-stakes moments.
Why we’re seeing extra Congressional hearings now
In 1994, Henry Waxman, a Democratic consultant from California, known as on the heads of seven main tobacco companies to seem earlier than the Home Committee on Power and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Well being and the Atmosphere, which he chaired. They’d be the one witnesses known as, and if they didn’t attend, their chairs would sit damningly empty.
All seven attended and testified. It was a media sensation that started to show the tide towards tobacco within the American consciousness.
Hotra factors to this second because the genesis of the fashionable observe of calling CEOs and executives earlier than the legislature.
“I feel Congress went ‘aha, we received one thing right here,’” Hotra mentioned.
However whereas the Waxman hearings might function a template, broader governmental tendencies assist clarify why this pattern is intensifying in recent times.
Congress, Hotra mentioned, has moved away from its conventional legislative course of and right into a situation that’s constructed extra about legislating by way of fiscal deadlines. Fairly than laws transferring by way of committees and subcommittees, it as an alternative focuses on what Hotra calls a “4 corners negotiation” between majority and minority leaders in each homes, with occasional enter from the president’s administration.
“The committees in Congress are sitting there with out as a lot to do, or one might argue, anyway,” Hotra mentioned. So that they flip their consideration to a lovely goal: CEOs.
“Bringing the CEO, the apex of any group, in entrance of Congress, she or he will be requested something,” Hotra mentioned “Congress has discovered that to be common and it’s a recurring theme..”
Three key seats on the prep desk
However Hotra acknowledges that what’s good for Congress probably isn’t almost as a lot enjoyable for the CEOs on the opposite aspect of the desk.
When prepping purchasers to testify on this stress cooker atmosphere, Hotra says there needs to be three co-equal seats on the desk: authorities affairs, authorized and communications.
The authorized representatives are there to assist set the legislative agenda for the listening to. “Congress is interested by making coverage, so that you’ve received to have a perspective on what that coverage is or what it needs to be,” Hotra famous.
Authorities affairs professionals or lobbyists are invaluable to assist the manager perceive the personalities and political wants of the questioners in Congress.
Communicators are wanted to form the messaging inside and out of doors the listening to room. Hotra particularly pointed to the testimony of the college professors on antisemitism as proof of the significance of communications having that equal seat on the desk.
“A number of hours’ value of testimony received distilled down into only a few sound bites that have been actually, actually damaging,” he mentioned. “Whether or not that’s truthful or not, it needs to be anticipated.”
Speedy response capabilities are key to placing again towards that soundbite cycle. “In order you’re sitting, listening to a principal or a consumer, having some good situational consciousness of, ‘oh my goodness, she or he simply made information,’” Hotra mentioned. “That’s essential data to know convey again, whether or not it’s to a conflict room or a consumer’s headquarters.”
Collectively, these three events ought to set about shaping an total technique for the testimony, which incorporates understanding your consumer’s position within the total listening to.
“Is your principal going to be the principle course, or are they one of many sides?” Hotra requested. When you have a small position in a controversial situation, you could possibly fade into the background on a panel of witnesses. However when you’ve got a significant position to play, otherwise you’re one among solely a handful of witnesses, that requires extra thought and prep.
What prep appears like
The final piece of the puzzle, Hotra mentioned, is making ready your witness. As with every kind of media prep, that begins with a candid, sincere evaluation of the one that will go earlier than the gauntlet that may be a Congressional listening to.
“There are some people who find themselves going to maneuver and be nice at it, as a result of they’re not simply good thinkers, however they’re very agile thinkers, and so they perceive the motivations of the individuals asking the questions,” Hotra mentioned. “However what we need to do is, guarantee that, once more, authorized, authorities affairs and comms are working collectively to arrange that witness.”
From there, the coaching can start in one of many mock listening to rooms scattered all through Washington, D.C. to place witnesses by way of their paces in a grueling, tiring coaching course of.
Relying on the timeline, there could also be months for preparation or only a few days. “It’s time consuming, and it imposes, notably for CEOs, on essentially the most valuable useful resource they’ve, which is time, nevertheless it’s actually, actually vital,” Hotra mentioned.
Serving to the principal perceive the distinction between an incredible authorized reply and an incredible all-around reply is a key a part of this course of.
Hotra mentioned one response is likely to be “an incredible, very legalistic reply. And it’s factually appropriate and correct and in line with the coverage that we assist,” he defined. “Nevertheless it’s too lengthy, and it carries some headline dangers. So we might might have to consider that.”
As we proceed to maneuver into an election yr in america, Hotra mentioned it’s protected to imagine we’ll solely see extra of those sorts of hearings earlier than Congress.
“We’ve seen time and again that when the CEO has come to city, whatever the business, it’s good theater, and it’s very, very newsworthy.”
Study extra concerning the very important position of communications within the governmental course of at Ragan’s Public Affairs & Speechwriting Digital Convention on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ET.
Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Each day. Comply with her on X or LinkedIn.
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