ALEC BALDWIN’S CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS

I caught Alec Baldwin’s recent prime time exclusive interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, and of all of his performances over the years, this one was certainly the most important – and arguably one of his best. ?

Under investigation for his role in the film set shooting which left the cinematographer dead and one of Baldwin’s co-producers wounded, the Hollywood star made a crucial strategic communications decision in granting Stephanopoulos the sit-down.?

Baldwin understands that this case – as with any involving a high-profile public figure – will play out in two courts: the court of law, and the court of public opinion. And he also realizes that the latter will ultimately play the stronger role in his reputation – and his employability – going forward. He will never work again if audiences decide they just can’t get past what he did with that gun in his hand, or what they think of him in the aftermath of what is undeniably a horrible and tragic incident.?

So Baldwin recognized that this forum – an hour long, prime time interview, which would assuredly be clipped and highlighted in pre-and-post mainstream and social media platforms – was his chance to tell his side of the story, personally, directly and before any potential criminal charges might prevent him from doing so.?

It was a smart move, provided he could execute effectively in both message and tone. And I believe he did just that.

To the first and most obvious question: “What happened?”, Baldwin broke it down. They were rehearsing (“blocking” for the camera) a scene in which he pulls a revolver and cocks it.?

“The trigger wasn't pulled. I didn't pull the trigger.

“I cock the gun. I go, ‘Can you see that? Can you see that? Can you see that?’” Baldwin said. “And then I let go of the hammer of the gun, and the gun goes off. I let go of the hammer of the gun, the gun goes off.”

“So, you never pulled the trigger?” Stephanopoulos asked.

“No, no, no, no, no,” Baldwin said. “I would never point a gun at anyone and pull a trigger at them.”

His messages came through crystal clear:

1. He’s absolutely devastated by what happened, and he’d do anything to be able to go back in time to stop it.
2. He was given what he was told was a “cold gun” – nothing in it except possibly a dummy blank round; nothing in the chamber which could actually “go off.”
3. The central issue at hand is a simple one: how did a live round get onto the set and into the gun, when there was not supposed to be live ammunition anywhere near the filming location?

As for his tone, Baldwin hit all the right notes. He underscored on two occasions which made it to air (and probably more, which may have been cut out) how important it is to him that he does not come across as a victim in all of this.

“There’s a woman who died, and my friend got shot … I want to make sure that I don’t come across like I’m the victim, because we have two victims here."

He says he decided to do this interview now, because the investigation and possible charges and court processes (whether involving him or others) will likely take many months.

“And I felt there were a number of misconceptions, most of it from sources I wouldn’t normally concern myself about, but a couple that I did concern myself about, where there were these authoritative statements, ‘Well, THIS is what happened …’” Baldwin said.

He was, from all appearances, extremely empathetic to the husband and young son of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, tearing up when describing how loved and respected she was by those who worked with her.

Baldwin pointed no fingers, only expressing a desire to get to the bottom as to how this could have happened, and what might be done to ensure it never happens again – which, whether he knows it or not, are two of the key core fundamentals in crisis communications management.

He did, however, throw some shade: at two members of the production staff who filed civil suits before the victim’s husband had done so; at George Clooney, who crowed about how he would never, ever use a gun on a set without thoroughly checking it himself (“There were a lot of people who felt it necessary to contribute some comment to the situation, which really didn't help the situation at all,” Baldwin retorted. “If your protocol is you checking the gun every time, well, good for you … My protocol was to trust the person that had the job"); and former U.S. President Donald Trump who all but called him a murderer. If I were Baldwin, I’d have probably done the same.

In sum, I think Baldwin played this wisely. Until such time – which could be quite some time – as the legal machinery delivers testimony and verdict, this is now the definitive record of events. He drove his messages with focus and sincerity, and resisted any temptation to litigate by media. And there was never a moment where I wanted to call B.S. on what I was hearing.

The strategy was smart. The execution was spot-on. It’s a Touchdown for Alec Baldwin.

Hear my weekly take on the communications plays of the week, “Touchdowns & Fumbles” on the Jerry Agar Show, heard live Friday mornings at 11:45 a.m. Eastern time on the iHeartRadio talk network live across southern Ontario (Newstalk 1010 Toronto, Newstalk 610 St. Catharines, and Newstalk 1290 London).