The Making of an “Expert”
You probably know Dr. Leana Wen.
You’ve seen her on CNN, in The Washington Post, quoted on every hot-button issue from lockdowns to masks to abortion to opioids.
But her rise wasn’t organic. It was engineered. Wen wasn’t a neutral voice the media discovered.
She was a product of PR, a case study in how credibility can be manufactured when media, politics, and corporate interests align.
The Instant Authority
The first move was branding. Wen’s credentials were positioned as unimpeachable: “ER doctor,” “former Baltimore health commissioner,” “CNN medical analyst.”
That sounds like authority. But dig deeper, and the story gets murkier. Her actual public health experience was limited.
Yet, the media kept amplifying her as a national expert on everything from COVID response to social ethics.
That’s not journalism. That’s positioning.
And it worked. Within weeks, she became a fixture in the pandemic narrative, not because she uncovered new science but because she fit the story the media wanted to tell.
The Echo Chamber
This is where the real machinery kicks in.
When TIME, Politico, The Washington Post, and CNN all quote the same person in the same week with the same talking points, you’re not seeing consensus. You’re watching coordination.
PR firms pitch, editors comply, and suddenly, one voice becomes “the expert.” It’s not about the truth anymore. It’s about control of perception. By amplifying one figure across outlets, the media manufactures a sense of authority that the public absorbs as fact.
That’s how credibility is built, not earned.
Protecting the Narrative
Once a figure becomes the face of a message, the media protects them. Critics get silenced. Contradictions get buried. The image gets reinforced.
And if the narrative shifts, the same figure is quietly repositioned to fit the new direction. No accountability. No transparency. No memory of what they said last year.
That’s not accidental. It’s systemic.
What This Really Means
Dr. Wen’s story isn’t about her. It’s about how media manufacturing works. We’re watching, in real time, how coordinated PR turns individuals into symbols of authority to drive specific public messages.
It’s the same playbook used in politics, corporate PR, and crisis management, repeated until audiences stop questioning where the message came from.
When truth becomes flexible, control of narrative becomes the ultimate power.
The Takeaway
The media no longer rewards truth. It rewards alignment.
If your message doesn’t serve their story, it’s ignored or erased. But if you fit their needs, they’ll build you a platform overnight and just as easily tear it down when your usefulness ends.
That’s why owning your narrative isn’t optional anymore. It’s survival.
Command Your Brand Or Lose It
This is exactly why I built Command Your Brand: to help people take back control of their narrative before it is rewritten by someone else.
In a world where truth is negotiable, your story is your strongest defense. The media may no longer be functional.
But your voice still is, if you have the courage to use it.
Got a story to share? Book a call with Command Your Brand.