My heart has been heavy all week from watching video and reading news coverage of the clashes between police and residents of Ferguson, Missouri. I grew up in Jefferson City, Mo., and have a lot of family and friends in the St. Louis area. I’m not familiar with Ferguson specifically but I suspect it is not that different from other communities I know – some here in Cleveland, where I’ve lived for 12 years.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has done a terrific job of covering what’s happening and there have been numerous insightful columns written about why it’s happening and why in Ferguson.
It’s the images that are so startling – the juxtaposition of military vehicles and police in riot gear, carrying rifles usually associated with warfare, against a backdrop of men, women and children on the streets of American suburbia. The photos of bewildered children, walking down the street with adults or holding protest signs, made me wonder what lasting impression they will have of police officers.
But there’s more. Members of the community uploaded cell-phone images of Michael Brown’s body lying in the street after the police officer shot him. Journalists uploaded cell-phone images from McDonald’s, where police in riot gear confronted and arrested them. This is not the St. Louis I know and love. How long will this negative impression of one of my favorite cities persist?
It’s a powerful reminder for every organization: If something bad happens, anyone can capture photos and videos that will live forever online. In the blink of an eye, your reputation can be permanently damaged. In these times of instant access to information, you must be prepared before the crisis occurs.
These images are now seared into our memories. When we think of Ferguson, we will think of the riots – just as we associate school shootings with Columbine and a theatre massacre with Aurora. That’s the lasting impact a crisis can have on reputation. How you respond can change the narrative.
