Suppression stokes demand.  How many times have we seen celebrities get into trouble and try to hold back all the evidence?  Going into hiding merely whets the appetite. 

Hiding is virtually impossible in the social media age.  When Michael Phelps got caught smoking a bong, he acknowledged it immediately.  He knew in growing up with Facebook and Twitter that the more you incite something the more it goes viral.  

Attention also shifts quickly.  Social users typically forgive and forget and move on to the next trending topic.  

Unfortunately, some bigwigs like NBC still don’t get it.  They shut down heckler Guy Adams account just after he tweeted the email address of an NBC executive and encouraged his followers to send in complaints.  NBC and Twitter rebooted Guy’s account only after news of the shutdown went viral, leading to even more tweets with the hashtag #NBCfail.  

Ironically, this maelstrom has simply generated more viewership for NBC’s prime time Olympic coverage.  Bad news creates bigger viewership.  NBC has welcomed the criticism.   

Censorship is simply getting impossible, especially for countries like China where Smartphones and social networking are rampant.  These countries are learning that controlled dissent backlashes.  The truth always emerges. 

Suppression > Attention > Criticism

Suppression invites publication.  It’s good to see some get this and let it be.