University spokesman discusses Knight firing

INDIANAPOLIS -- "Control the message and flow of information. If you don't do that, it's totally out of your control."\nChristopher Simpson, vice president for public affairs and government relations, gave this advice to a group of public relations professionals Wednesday in Indianapolis. He was the keynote speaker at a meeting of the Hoosier Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.\nSimpson illustrated his public relations philosophies through stories of crises he has encountered as IU's chief public relations officer, as well as during his tenure as Sen. Strom Thurmond's press secretary.\nHis first five years at IU went without any major problems, Simpson said. Then, within the course of 18 months, graduate student Won-Joon Yoon was murdered, freshman Jill Behrman disappeared and former basketball coach Bob Knight was fired.\n"It's not all about image," he said. "If you don't handle a crisis well, it can have tremendous impact on your bottom line."\nDan Henkel, a member of the PRSA, introduced Simpson by saying, "If you ask Christopher Simpson what a crisis is like, he is likely to say any given work day."\nSimpson said the Knight firing was an example of good public relations. \nThe Knight saga began unfolding for Simpson while he was hiking in the Smoky Mountains Mar. 11, 1999, with his son. Simpson said a USA Today television critic called him to say the newspaper had received a press release from CNN/SI saying the station was going to release a story about Knight. \nThe story would contend Knight had cursed at IU President Myles Brand, had been involved in what Simpson would only describe as the "ugly toilet paper incident" and had choked former player Neil Reed.\nSimpson said he immediately reacted by referring all media inquires to two people: athletics director Clarence Doninger for athletics questions and himself for academic questions. They decided to end media contact during the NCAA tournament. \nThe issue with Knight was postponed shortly after the Hoosiers' exit from the NCAA tournament March 18 when University Chancellor Herman B Wells died. Simpson called a press conference the day after Wells' funeral, a move he said some questioned as being too soon.\nSeven weeks later, Simpson said he was minding his own business in his office when his phone rang. Mark Shaw was on the line. Simpson said Shaw told him, "Are you ready to test zero tolerance? Well, you better be, because Bob Knight just accosted my stepson."\nSimpson finished by saying he wanted people to remember the positive and negative things Knight brought to the program.\n"I remember the good sides of Bob Knight," Simpson said. "But unfortunately, there's a side to him we couldn't continue with."\nSimpson outlined three steps to dealing with every crisis. He emphasized the importance of planning and anticipating all worst case scenarios. IU has a 40-50 page manual to deal with a variety of scenarios, Simpson said. \nHis major advice included, "You need one spokesperson and they run the show," and "You need to have a very good knowledge of how to deal with the media. I see so many people who deal with the media and don't have a clue"