In the case of JonBenet Ramsey accused killer, John Mark Karr, the media has found themselves in the unusual position of actually defending someone charged with a crime.

The media is normally quick to back acquisitions of wrong doing. O. J. Simpson, Robert Blake, Jim and Tammy Bakker, Tom DeLay, and others were quickly vilified by the press as soon as they fell under suspicion. Not so with Karr. Almost immediately following his confession, media giants began to deny that he could actually be the killer. Their behavior shows a shortcoming inherent in political and business leaders.

Soon after the lifeless six-year-old body was found in the Ramsey basement in Boulder, Colorado, the press honed in on her mother and father. The Ramseys were convicted in the court of public opinion despite their claims of innocence. Now that someone has actually confessed, particularly somebody that the press had not previously considered as a potential suspect, it seems that the media feels a necessity to overcome their earlier Ramsey conviction by proving Karr could not possibly have been the killer.

Politicians and business leaders are often in this position. They take a stand or form an opinion. After expounding prolifically about their opinion more information surfaces. Rather than acknowledging the new facts as having a potentially changing impact on their original position, they work hard to deny that the new facts are viable or feasible. They become more entrenched in their original position even though that original position begins to lose credibility. In many cases this will later cause them to embarrassingly have to admit that they were wrong. Of course admitting one's wrong is difficult so if a way can be found to avoid the submission, it becomes a favored path of omission.

No leader can journey down this path without losing the honor, respect, and admiration of followers. All but the most stringent of Bill Clinton's followers will admit that their viewpoint of his integrity was lessened by his failure to fully recognize his sexual indiscretions in the Oval Office, particularly after the truth was revealed. Richard Nixon will be remembered by many as the President that covered up Watergate rather than the President who restored relations with China.

All leaders must reach the point that they can confidently be completely open and honest with those whom they want to follow them. If the media were to do so in the Ramsey case, the coverage would change from an emphasis of why he could not be the killer to an open an objective reporting of both sides of his potential guilt or innocence.

Rick Weaver

Rick Weaver is an accomplished business executive with a wealth of experience in retail, market analysis, supply chain enhancement, project management, team building, and process improvement.

Rick career began in retailing as a stockclerk, eventually becoming the Director of Vendor Development at Kmart Corporation during it’s heyday. In this position he worked with hundreds of Kmart’s suppliers to improve mutual processes, procedures, and profits.

As a consultant, Rick has worked with companies in various industries to develop leadership and business strategies. These companies include Sara Lee, Procter & Gamble, 3M, GM, The State of Michigan, OLHSA, Fruit of the Loom, Eastman Kodak, Kmart, Coleman, Pope & Talbot, Atmosphere Heat Treating, Rinchem, Builder's Industry Association, Ingersoll-Rand, Dow Chemical, HIS Jeans, Wrangler, Confab, S. C. Johnson, Kimberly-Clark, Exxon-Mobil, Pennzoil, Kraft, Remington Arms, US Playing Cards, and Johnson & Johnson.

As an entrepreneur, Rick has founded or co-founded six successful organizations, including non-profit and for profit. All organizations have been consistantly profitable since their second quarter.

Now in his role as president of MaxImpact, Rick uses his vast experience helping individuals connect to their dreams and teams connect to a common vision.

Rick’s presentation style of blending humor, real life examples, and easy to implement ideas has made him a popular speaker at seminars, workshops, and conferences in in 43 states, Canada, and Puerto Rico.