Karen Hughes, the State Department's undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs, sent a long memo worldwide Friday, spelling out "Karen's Rules" for working with the media.
Quoting psychologist Robert Hogan, the article states
"She presents a thicket of rules, and if all the guidelines are followed, a person won't be able to say much of anything.
"It is also a mixed message: Go out there and communicate freely and vigorously, but be very careful what you say.
"The combination of micromanagement and mixed message will lead to learned helplessness on the part of the recipient. They will feel obliged to do something but unable to decide what. . . .
"The only thing a recipient can do is spout the preexisting words of senior officials. There is no possibility to exercise initiative -- which is another way of saying this is an exercise in micromanagement."
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