Professional Censorship - Charlie Sheen Opens Up About HIV Diagnosis

Celebrities, professional athletes, government officials, and all others in the public eye have their lives viewed by the masses. They are usually scrutinized, rather than praised, therefore negative acts usually get higher media coverage. Over the years we as the public have seen vast amounts of stories regarding these public figures, and most of the stories that we remember are the bad ones. Why is this?

After learning about media and crisis communications it is interesting to see such negative stories being publicized. Don't these people have professionals who work for them to keep these stories under wraps? Just like businesses, people have to make sure their image is maintained. Following a crisis, get out in front of the story, be active and not passive about telling the story so you can make sure you are in charge of what is being disseminated to the media. This way, you are able to confirm truths and ensure the public that anything that needs to be taken care of will be.

A recent story that has come out is about actor Charlie Sheen, people have been speculating that he is HIV-positive. Many people have preconceived notions about Sheen and his lifestyle as it has been highly publicized. He is known for drinking, drugs and sexual activity. His behaviour is often portrayed as erratic and unpredictable. However, following the news about his possible HIV diagnosis, Sheen and his team got out in front of the story and said they were going to have him speak about it. This kind of calmed the seas and prevented too many crazy stories from breaking. Today Sheen was able to come out and talk about it on the Today Show


We have seen this in many circumstances, famous people have something being speculated about them in the media and they come out to talk about it themselves in these types of 'specials'. I think it is important, as perhaps in previous times it would be kept hush-hush, however now the best policy is to come out with it yourself. With today's technology and everyone's ability to access information, usually things get out one way or another. 

Sheen was able to keep his story his own, he spoke about it on the Today Show and spun it as a discussion of his general health. He seemed quite humble and openly announced in his first statement that he is HIV-positive. He addresses the questions and what is fact versus fiction. Here is the video in which he opens up about his diagnosis: Today Show - Charlie Sheen Admits HIV-Positive

I believe Sheen and his team were able to get out in front of the story before it blew out of proportion. They took a page out of crisis communication management and answered the questions. Although it was not them that originally broke the story (it was some sort of leak), they were able to book an appearance where Sheen himself could speak and put a face to the story. He came across as honest and almost the victim, answering questions rather than dodging them. The appearance was a re-active approach following the crisis, but Sheen was pro-active in sharing his truths instead of letting the story snowball. Here is an article on Sheen's ability to get out in front of the stories and make you feel for him. It also touches on his "flawless crisis communications campaign" in regards to his HIV-positive announcement CNBC - Charlie Sheen Crisis Communications

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