Member-only story
Singaporeans have been entertained by an ongoing dispute between Sylvia Chan, the co-founder of Night Owl Cinematics (NOC) a Singaporean production company known for its YouTube channel, and a group of current and ex-employees.
For those who have not been following the drama, allegations of workplace bullying against Sylvia started in early October. Sylvia subsequently issued an apology with an explanation to rebut the allegations, but her rebuttal contained factual irregularities.
Unhappy that Sylvia was not held accountable, employees of NOC started a blog titled #EndTheSilence to share their personal experiences working with Sylvia. In response, Sylvia has doubled down by filing a Magistrate’s Complaint citing a “concerted and coordinated effort to discredit and disparage” her.
From a communications perspective, the tactic of doubling down by threatening legal action is a tactic made popular by former US President Trump. The double down is a counterattack designed to: (a) put the other side on the defensive; and (b) to regain the information initiative by alluding to innocence. By all accounts, this tactic has been effective for Trump, but less so for others.
The essence of this tactic is the use of time as a crisis management tool to win the war of public opinion. As…
