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American Morning

Interview of Frank Mankiewicz, Vice Chairman of Hill and Knowlton

Aired November 19, 2001 - 09:13   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Loose lips sink ships. The expression was heard repeatedly during World War II as part of an all out propaganda campaign. But back then, Americans were warned about talking about subjects that could inadvertently jeopardize national security.

Well, here we are, over a half century later, the government is at it again. The State Department is launching a "shh" campaign in the new war on terrorism. And joining us from Washington to give us his take on it is Frank Mankiewicz, vice chairman of Hill and Knowlton, the country's largest P.R. firm. Good morning, how are you doing this morning, sir?

FRANK MANKIEWICZ, VICE CHAIRMAN, HILL AND KNOWLTON: Good morning. Just fine, thank you, Paula.

ZAHN: Just wanted to get your qui -- quick reaction to what your understanding is of this new State Department campaign basically telling Americans, "keep it zipped -- don't provide any information about floor plans of building they work on, and the requirements going on and on. Is it going to work?

MANKIEWICZ: Well, I -- I have no idea whether it'll -- whether it will work because I don't know what it is. I don't have any information about the building I work in that would help any terrorist. I don't think. I mean, the elevators go up and then when you want them to go up again, they go down. But that's not very helpful. I don't -- I'm not sure this isn't a little misguided. That it seems to be an attempt to make this effort seem like major wars, like World War II, perhaps. Loose lips sink ships. We don't know anything about ships. If we did, all we know is what is the sailing schedule that's printed in the "New York Times". I -- I'm surprised, frankly.

ZAHN: And you're surprised that they launched this kind of attack -- these kinds of ads period?

MANKIEWICZ: I'm surprised --

ZAHN: Or just by the direction they're taking?

MANKIEWICZ: Well, I'm surprised that we're seeming to be serious about this. This is not a -- it doesn't seem to me to be something that ought to be concerning the government of -- the government of the United States. We have more important things to do than put up posters that say "shh." I'm not sure why. What is it we're supposed to be quiet about?

ZAHN: There's another prong of the campaign which is called the "Rewards for Justice Campaign" which will reward people for handing over suspected terrorists. That, obviously, has, I would think, more weight in your mind or do you think that's a waste of time as well?

MANKIEWICZ: No, no. I think that's -- I think that's useful. I think that's something to be expected. I mean, Americans who suspect people of crimes or who see things that concern them, we have law enforcement places where those things can be reported and I assume investigated. No. No. I think that's fine, particularly now when we seem to be very jittery about terrorists.

ZAHN: Do you think the government is doing anything right on the P.R. front?

MANKIEWICZ: Well, I don't know what they are doing on the P.R. front. Certainly putting up posters saying "shh" I don't think is furthering the war on terrorism an awful lot. But I think -- I think the president is doing a great deal on the -- P.R. front. I think P.R. and wartime is not something you -- you plan as a strategy to deliver the message. I think it's something you do.

And when the president of the United States, for example, attends a ceremony at a mosque as he did three days into this, when he uses the name Palestine for a country, which no president of the United States has ever done, when he begins now to have meetings with the Muslim leaders partly to celebrate aspects of Ramadan and partly to assure them that this is war against bin Laden and terrorism and not against Islam. Those are powerful P.R. moves as well as serious efforts in the war on terrorism. But I don't think they need a P.R. campaign to sell them. I think they sell themselves.

ZAHN: In the end, how effective do you think that leaflet campaign where we drop leaflets on certain parts of Afghanistan and we basically pose the question, "do you enjoy being ruled by the Taliban? Are you proud to live the life of fear? Are you happy to see the place your family has owned for generations as a terrorist training site?"

MANKIEWICZ: I -- I think that can be very effective. If it's in the right language, and if we know the culture of the place where they're being dropped and it fits the kind of message that is there, and I assume we do, those can be very effective. They may even be hinting at efforts we might make for people who would defect. I think -- I think that kind of campaign, that's not a P.R. campaign. That's real. That's on the ground. And that can be very effective.

ZAHN: In closing this morning --

MANKIEWICZ: And it probably is.

ZAHN: In closing this morning, then, do you think the president and his administration needs to do anything to continue to encourage Americans to be patient?

MANKIEWICZ: I think he's doing a good job of that. I think -- I think what the administration needs to do is do more of what they are doing and not talk about it very much.

ZAHN: All right. Frank Mankiewicz, we're going to leave it there. Thank you so much for joining us this morning. We appreciate your time.

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