Five days. That’s how long Katie Zacharia lasted as White House press secretary. Two U.S. officials told CBS News on Friday that the White House was moving her out of the role. Others including President Trump tried to soften the blow and suggest it wasn’t a fair spot for her to be in. Remarkably, all of it unfolded one week to the day after President Trump announced her as Karoline Leavitt’s replacement.
Zacharia’s debut briefing lasted roughly 15 minutes. Admittedly, it wasn’t her finest hour, and media outlets worldwide had a field day with it. However, the bigger issue was her calling herself a lawyer despite failing the California bar exam. By Thursday night, she was explaining herself to Sean Hannity. Then, by Friday, it was lights out.
Some will blame it on Trump’s unstable nature. Others will suggest it’s the result of being crushed by an unfair press. I prefer to focus on the issue not the politics and examine how it relates to our business. Either way, whether popular or not, a decision maker recognized a mistake and addressed it before it got worse. That isn’t easy to do when the whole world’s watching. It’s a lesson every broadcasting executive should study though. In fact, it’s one that I’ve experienced myself as a former programmer.
My Aubrey Huff Moment
In 2013, I hired Aubrey Huff to join the morning show at 95.7 The Game in San Francisco. On paper, it made sense. Giants fans loved him. He was part of a championship team. He was funny, unfiltered, and had stories to tell, all of the qualities you look for in a morning host. Our initial conversations were great. I could see him doing well if he chose to invest himself in the medium. The morning show’s ratings at that time weren’t where they needed to be, and many in the building saw Huff’s arrival as a move that could elevate the radio station.
But I had doubts. Mornings are a grind. They require waking up before dawn, watching games, constantly consuming content, and investing yourself daily in talking about many different topics. I wasn’t convinced Aubrey wanted that life. He didn’t need the job, and had enjoyed a successful and financially rewarding career. Given where the brand was at that time, I felt the wiser move was to pair Tony Bruno and Ric Bucher in mornings. Ownership and sales were more excited about Huff though. They were willing to overlook the concerns because they saw what it could be IF it worked out.
My gut told me it wouldn’t work, but I hoped to be wrong. Initially, Aubrey started off great. The partnership with Ric Bucher and Chris Townsend produced fun on the air, which carried over to the post-show meetings. As a result, I was cautiously optimistic. But by the third week, the pressure started to build. Soon, I’d receive multiple calls in the middle of the night letting me know that Aubrey couldn’t work the next morning. Doing a four hour show when you’re thin on depth beyond the sport you played is tough. Imagine stepping into a batter’s box to face a 95 MPH fastball if you’ve never swung a bat or faced live pitching. Simply put, it’s hard.
Luckily, Ric and Chris had enough history together that the show didn’t suffer each time Huff called out. But when we couldn’t extend his temporary 30-day stay to 60 days, Aubrey told me he had to return to San Diego. I scrambled to get him into a local studio to keep the show going and had equipment sent to his home to do the show remotely. A week or two later, I flew down to meet with him. During breakfast, we discussed the situation, and he shared that relocating to San Francisco to do a daily morning show wasn’t going to work. He had the best of intentions but discovered that this wasn’t the job or life he wanted to pursue.
Naturally, I knew it would put a black eye on the brand and myself since we had just announced a new show a month earlier. But if it wasn’t going to work, we had to focus on what would be best moving forward for the brand, Ric, Chris, and Aubrey. Aubrey’s agent Matt Kramer and I connected, handled the paperwork, and everyone moved on. Sometimes, people enter relationships excited and hopeful, but things don’t jive. When that happens, you have to make a quick decision and move on or risk prolonging the pain.
By rolling the dice, we knew we’d likely need to explore a new direction in mornings. Ric Bucher left to join Bleacher Report, and Chris Townsend returned to evenings. Fortunately, the door opened for Joe Fortenbaugh, Lorenzo Neal and Chad Doing, and the morning show got better. Later, it grew again after my exit once my guy Dan Dibley returned to full time morning show duty.
Still, the worse move would have been hanging on out of fear of the backlash. Listeners would’ve heard a show that wasn’t committed. Likewise, advertisers would’ve become hesitant to invest. Talent would’ve begun questioning the station’s direction. Aubrey would’ve hated doing a job he didn’t love while everyone constantly scrutinized him. Meanwhile, his partners would’ve become more frustrated. And eventually, the entire staff would’ve lost faith in leadership.
The Right Ending
That’s what makes the Zacharia situation instructive. The White House could have defended the hire, blamed the press and waited it out. Instead, it cut ties within a week. Honestly, whether the White House fired her, reassigned her or she chose to leave doesn’t matter. Instead, it’s about recognizing a situation is wrong and moving on for all involved.
Make no mistake, this is the best outcome for Zacharia. She stepped into one of the toughest jobs in the world with little preparation. Every briefing moving forward would have become a referendum on her résumé. Furthermore, critics would have picked apart every comment she made with relentless scrutiny. Now she can explore other professional situations without people constantly putting her reputation under a microscope.
This is best for President Trump, too. Remember, the midterms are less than three weeks away. He needs a press secretary driving his message, not becoming the message.
It’s also best for the media covering the White House. Ultimately, reporters need a credible spokesperson who can answer questions. Granted, a week of stories about bar exams makes for good television. However, it doesn’t address or advance more important issues.
Ironically, the biggest winner might be the next press secretary. Whoever steps in next will look steady by comparison.
Rip the Band-Aid Off
I’ve watched this same situation happen in radio countless times. The host that replaces a failed hire often earns more patience. The program director who steps in to clean up a mess gets credit for accepting the challenge. A show that launches after a flop benefits from lower expectations and a hungry audience. Sometimes the best thing a mistake does is clear the runway for the right answer.
Decision makers can’t be afraid to operate fearlessly. You can’t build anything great if you’re terrified of being wrong. Take swings. Hire people who others overlook. Launch the show nobody else would try. But fearless doesn’t mean stubborn. If you make decisions, you are going to swing and miss. I have many times. Everyone reading this has, or will. A bad decision isn’t the end of the line if you make more good decisions than bad.
When you screw up, own it. Rip the band-aid off. Acknowledge the mistake, make the change and move forward. Excuses don’t fix ratings. Forcing a bad fit doesn’t rebuild trust with an audience, advertiser, your staff or your bosses. People usually forgive a quick correction. What they don’t forgive is watching you pretend for months that something broken is fine.
Egg on your face washes off. But a brand damaged by your ego takes much longer to recover. The White House is learning that it’s better to acknowledge a blemish and move on rather than seek credit for being right for something that landed poorly.
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