ABC objects to ‘spurious‘ criticism

In an official press release, issued yesterday, Tuesday, 9 October 2007, the ABC attacked Moerdyk for a column he wrote last week entitled: ‘Is Media24 the only culprit'. Accusing him of “unconscionable and spurious” comments that rendered the ABC “aghast” (its own words), the organisation advised Moerdyk to contact Media24 and the media group's auditors directly to find out why the circulation fraud went undetected for two years.

The ABC press statement went on: “The ABC issues circulation data based on figures submitted to it, which have been audited and certified by the member's own auditors. Any data not supported by an audit certificate is not released. Subsequent to the release of the data, the ABC's own audit staff then perform check audits on all titles on a pre-determined cycle. It was the result of such a check audit that the discrepancies in certain Media24 titles were detected. The accuracy of the data is dependent on the integrity and honesty of the members, which is why the ABC requires adherence to a Code of Conduct.”

And here's the paragraph I really have to shake my head at: “Whilst the ABC makes every effort to ensure that the data it releases is accurate, it requires its members to do the same, and not submit data that is inaccurate, misleading or distorted. We demand that Mr Moerdyk retract his comments regarding the integrity and other unsubstantiated remarks regarding the workings of the ABC. The ABC reserves its right to take action against Mr Moerdyk, if it deems necessary.”

Eish. What were they thinking?

Reaction

When contacted, Chris Moerdyk said his reaction would be that the ABC had reacted with “considerable hysteria”. “I stick by everything I said in my original column. They are missing the point entirely. This happened two years ago. They must take some of the responsibility.”

The offending paragraphs that left the ABC “aghast”, were where Moerdyk questioned the integrity of the audit process in a column published on Bizcommunity.com, 5 October: “Now someone has without too much difficulty it seems, screwed the system and given the integrity of the ABC a bloody nose... I suppose it is comforting that the ABC can at least claim that it has exposed the culprits and has let loose in no uncertain terms with its Sword of Damocles. But, the point is that the ABC system is supposed to block this sort of thing before figures get published. And at least long before advertisers and marketers spend their budgets on magazines and newspapers. To prevent them finding out months later that they had bought a pig in a poke.”

Moerdyk concluded in the ‘offending' column: “The ABC is supposed to keep the print industry honest. Or, at least honest about the claims it makes about sales and circulation to its advertisers. The Media24 saga has shown that it hasn't been able to do this. Perhaps in fairness to the ABC it has never intended to create the perception that its audited figures should be taken as absolute gospel and never, ever queried.”

In a later column, published on Bizcommunity.com on Monday, 8 October, Moerdyk also wrote that: “The ABC has come a long way in the past year or two but it cannot just sit back and assume that everyone is applauding it, because they aren't. Too many marketers see the Media24 debacle not as an example of ABC efficiency, but as a shortcoming. And that perception cannot be left to fester because the ABC, above all other forms of media data, is the one we are supposed to be able to trust implicitly.”

This column was a reflection of what Moerdyk said on Jeremy Maggs' media talk show on SAfm on Sunday 7 October. I would suggest that the ABC reads this column carefully to see what Moerdyk says on crisis management.

Where the ABC makes its mistake is attacking the man and not the issue. One wonders where it is getting its PR advice from? Because it is going to have to put some serious spin on the circulation scandal if it is to be taken seriously in the industry and by advertisers going forward. It takes a damage control strategy, not spurious press statements, to rectify perception.

This is a very serious issue, and one that the ABC should take seriously. Seriously enough to engage with stakeholders like Chris Moerdyk, who is one of the most respected media and marketing analysts in South Africa and consulted by many marketing firms and media owners – rather than attacking them.

This smacks too much like an organisation floundering on the defensive, than one that should be trying to rebuild its brand by finding out what went wrong and how circulation irregularities in the industry can go undetected for years.

How does any of this give potential advertisers and media agencies the confidence in an august body such as the ABC?

For more:

• MPASA condemns Media24's magazine circulation irregularities [article]
  
• Caxton weighs in on the circulation saga [article]
  
• The ABC of crisis management… [blog]
  
• MPASA stands behind Scholtemeyer [breaking news]
  
• ABC objects to ‘spurious‘ criticism [article]
  
• Media24: now the PR really starts [article]
  
• [No Comment] ‘Mayhem at Media Park' [blog]
  
• Is Media24 the only culprit? [article]
  
• Media24: profit and performance pressure cooker [article]
  
• ABC routine audit checks on all publishers [article]
  
• Zoopy interviews Hein Brand, Steven Powell and Di Paice [blog]
  
• Thursday's Media24 press conf in CT [Zoopy videos] [blog]
  
• Potential criminal charges in Media24 scandal [article]
  
• How did it all go wrong at Media24? [article]
  
• Touchline MD faces disciplinary action [article]
  
• "My heart bleeds for the editors" [article]
  
• Touchline Media lied about circulation figures [article]
  
• Notes on a scandal [article]
  
• Wednesday is D-Day for Media24 [blog]
  
• Media24: media agencies take up the fight [article]
  
• Are the Picas at risk? [blog]
  
• Touchline under scrutiny [snippet]
  
• Media24 staff responsible for circulation irregularities [article]
  
• Media24 restates certain ABC figures [article]
  
• Patricia Scholtemeyer honoured for job creation [article]
  
• Scholtemeyer, Lowe Morna: Vodacom Women in The Media finalists [article]

• Video coverage on the Thursday, 4 October 2007, Media24 press conference in Cape Town:

  • Zoopy interviews Hein Brand, Steven Powell and Di Paice [blog]

  • Thursday's Media24 press conf in CT [Zoopy videos] [blog]

• Breaking news blog for coverage of the Wednesday, 3 October 2007, Media24 press conference in Johannesburg: http://blog.bizcommunity.com [blog]