It seems to be the summer for illegal drugs.  You’d have to live under a rock to have not heard about the troubles of Lindsay Lohan, Barry Bonds and Michael Rassmussen.  All are at the center of investigations alleging illegal drug use and all are using spin to cover every excuse possible.

“The drugs were in my pocket, but they’re not mine.”

Doctors ought to quit worrying about what ballplayers are taking. What players take doesn’t matter. It’s nobody else’s business.

I was in Mexico.”

All three of these people certainly didn’t sign up to be role models, and probably see things much like Charles Barkley, famous for his comment “I am not a role model, parents should be role models” and his fierce competitive drive.

The fact of the matter is, that all three enjoy the media spotlight. You can make the argument that they don’t, but they could have chosen a line of work that doesn’t involve competing on national television or staring in block-buster movies. Yet all somehow feel like they are being treated unfairly, and that it is ok to do whatever they want. Spinning what happens and not being truthful and transparent with the media only results in their desire to do their job, and complete the story. The harder it is for them, the more they dig, and the more they are around, putting your picture on the news.

If you refuse to use spin, deal with the media truthfully and transparently, they tend to back off once they know you are either a. telling the truth, or b. boring. 

In 2005, Lance Armstrong was under intense scrutiny for alleged doping violations. He used the truth and was eventually left alone.

John Travolta is a huge movie star, yet he isn’t all over the news because he spends time with his family and flies his planes instead of going out to the clubs and making bad decisions.

Not using spin makes you less interesting to the media. There are no lies to get caught up in and no drama to publicize. No one wants to read about that. —  Morgan Smith