What began as an off-the-cuff comment made during a college lecture by Economics Professor Dr. Jonathan Gruber of MIT quickly became a nightmare as it exploded into a full-blown media frenzy. A video recording of his lecture went viral, then became a national news story and rallying cry for Obamacare opponents.
Courtesy of politico.com
Credited as the “architect” of Presidents Obama’s Affordable Care Act (Obamacare,) who was reportedly paid millions for it, Dr. Gruber said that the “stupidity of the American voter” helped pass this signature piece of legislation for the President.
When the story broke, the Obamacare website had already suffered an embarrassing opening with crashing servers and a confusing interface. This story was reported as the second launch of the site was set to be released. Rather than the media coverage being about the Obamacare site finally getting it right, it turned toward Gruber and his “stupid” soundbite.
In this New Age of electronics, camera/video phones are everywhere. Even though you are not in a formal interview setting or studio, everyone in your audience is a reporter for social media and any words spoken or actions taken, can become the news heard ’round the world!