When good meets bad and ugly

Lance Armstrong with a young cancer patient

Today marks the 15^th anniversary of LIVESTRONG, one of the leading foundations of the national cancer community. The organization provides support, resources and inspiration to those who’ve faced this frightening diagnosis. So far, it’s raised over $470 million towards this mission, channeling those funds to 550 research or service groups nationwide. The good it does is incalculable.

The milestone—and perhaps the future of the foundation—has been marred somewhat by the quite public and increasingly ugly disgrace of its founder, Lance Armstrong. Earlier this month, the United States Anti-doping Agency (USADA) issued a report that Armstrong had been part of extensive doping use and “refused to engage in arbitration.” He has been barred for life from cycling and his seven Tour de France wins have been vacated.

In the wake of the scandal, Armstrong stepped down as chairman of the LIVESTRONG foundation. But perhaps more troubling to both the man and the organization, he has lost his corporate endorsements and, thus, his primary source of income (much of which, rumor has it, is donated to the foundation). At age 41, and finished as an athlete, it remains to be seen where he can go from here.  

The problem is not (entirely) that he did something wrong. Nike, for example, famously stood by plenty of cheaters: Tiger Woods through his infidelity scandal, Alex Rodriguez for performance enhancing drugs, even Kobe Bryant’s sexual assault arrest.

The difference, it seems, is that the athletes admitted they made a mistake. They talked to the media. They stood in press conferences and asked for forgiveness. They opened up and told anyone who would listen that, yes, they were guilty. And sorry.

Armstrong, in contrast, steadfastly maintains his innocence—even in the face of overwhelming evidence—and continues to avoid journalists, a tactic he’s followed since 2009.  

“One of the worst things you can do in media relations is say ‘no comment,’” says Megan Wright, who fields difficult questions as spokesperson for ONCOR. “It makes you look guilty, and makes the reporters dig for dirt.”

She and other experts say that the best thing to do is tell the media what you do know. Be as honest as possible.

“Reporters need to be fed information. They’re always hungry,” says Wright. “Even when you do talk with them, they may think you’re trying to spin them, but at least it gets your side of the story out there.”

It’s a tough but important lesson in media relations, one that sports marketing consultant David Carter said in a recent USA Today article said Armstrong must learn quickly, if not for himself then for his foundation.

"Until he comes clean,” says Carter, “it will be difficult for anybody to use him. If he can't be the face of his own organization, how can he be the face of anybody else's?"