B²: From Gorillas to Policy

Harambe the gorilla is 2016’s version of Cecil the lion.

Last week, the media obsessed over the gorilla and his interaction with a toddler, then his death sparked an international outcry, and now #JusticeForHarambe exists in the Twittersphere.

A moment of silence, please.

But what if you, like most people, don’t talk about gorilla shootings and/or zoo-related issues? Does this mean you’re out of luck if the news cycle plays animal rights on repeat? Not at all. If you know how to block and bridge, and are willing to play off the story (no matter how unrelated to your topic), you can do interviews. So, how does it work?

Good thing it’s Tuesday, B² day.

Here is this week’s likely media question and the B² (block and bridge) that points the narrative in the direction of your talking point:

Q: “Doesn’t the outcry prove that the zoo should’ve tranquilized Harambe instead of killing him?”

B²: “While the situation is tragic all around, it’s very concerning that we’re placing more focus on this issue rather than <insert talking point>.”

Wherever you take the conversation next, whether it’s about the increasingly disastrous refugee crisis or the killings in Chicago, remember what Winston Churchill said: “never let a good crisis go to waste.” The jury’s still out on whether the deaths of Harambe and Cecil (RIP) count as crises, but the strategy applies. Just because you may not be well versed in the latest animal rights talking points doesn’t mean you can’t capitalize on the news cycle and pivot to your issue. As DMG consistently recommends, acknowledge the incident and the emotion, but then change the conversation via a solid block and bridge.

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