Black Hats White Hats: Why Activists Almost Always Win and How to Defeat Them

Governments, elected leaders, businesses, institutions and whole industries can be greatly harmed by a few outspoken and very effective activists. In many respects activists drive the public policy agenda today - sometimes for good, but too often in harmful ways. Black Hats - White Hats takes a deep dive into the methods and tactics of today's activists to find answers for their remarkable success. The answer is found in the symbiotic relationship between the "white hat" activists and the ratings starved media, "click bait" social media, "white knight" politicians and, of course, plaintiff's attorneys. More than analysis, this work lays out a surprising strategy that has been proven through many years of direct engagement with activism at local to global levels. It shows that the primary tools so effectively used by activists can be used to defeat them, with two major differences. Every organization leader, public relations professional, crisis manager and reputation manager will find new hope and insight in these pages.