Consistent messaging is one of READY FOR MEDIA’s 12 C’s of communication, and one of the most important. If you cannot effectively communicate with members of your own team, how can you expect to communicate with the public? In a recent playoff game, the Cleveland Cavaliers undermined their own emphasis against domestic violence with a video broadcast depicting a woman violently thrown down to the ground by her partner.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGHAxbSEBZs
In a modern trend by professional sports teams to quell the rampant domestic abuse and violence that has plagued professional athletes for decades, the Cavaliers showed this clip during a game against the Chicago Bulls demonstrating the exact violence the team, as well as league and players, are trying to diminish.
In the video, a Cleveland fan and his female partner (stereotypically shown in an apron in the kitchen) are recreating a famous scene from the film, Dirty Dancing. In the clip, once the man realizes she is a Chicago Bulls fan, he throws her to the floor, injuring her. This blatant use of violence falls short of the humor it was supposed to show and instead is a perfect example of the irony between NBA’s voiced stance on domestic violence, and its actions.
The inability to be consistent in messaging, especially one as important and universal as domestic abuse, should be corrected by professional media strategy and communications coaching.