The early days of any administration are critical in shaping public perception, and the role of media in this process cannot be overstated.
In a world where headlines are moving faster than ever before, reputation management is being rewritten. Traditional corporate communications, once anchored in message discipline and long-term positioning, now contend with a new reality — media saturation as a deliberate tactic. Visibility is no longer about informing audiences; instead, it’s being used to overwhelm them.
This evolution — or, some might argue, disruption — is starkly visible in our recent research analyzing the start to President Donald Trump’s second term, conducted in partnership with media intelligence firm CARMA and students at Quinnipiac University. The report focuses on the administration’s newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), its media portrayal, and the role of Elon Musk as its unofficial figurehead.
What emerges is a compelling example of how Flood the Zone tactics can hijack news cycles and reshape the dynamics of reputation management — not always to the benefit of those involved.
What is ‘Flood the Zone’ and why is it changing the rules?
Coined by Trump adviser Steve Bannon, “Flood the Zone” refers to overloading the media with content to drown out criticism, shorten the lifespan of a scandal and exhaust the public’s attention.
For the president, it has proven a powerful political tool. However, our data shows the same strategy can have unpredictable and damaging consequences when adopted in the corporate world, especially by CEOs whose personal brands are tightly bound to their business performance.
Which brings us to Elon Musk.
The dangers of constant visibility
DOGE was announced by an executive order on Jan. 20, 2025, with the aim of saving taxpayer money and reducing the national debt. But from the beginning, it was surrounded by controversy and confusion. Musk’s involvement, paired with the department’s meme-inspired acronym and unclear legal status, made it irresistible to the media. Almost immediately, DOGE was framed as messy, unserious and symbolic of the chaos that characterised the early days of the president’s second term.
Across 158,000 articles analyzed between January and April 2025 in the United States, U.K. and Canada, Musk’s name appeared in 89% of all DOGE-related coverage. The official administrator of the department, Amy Gleason, appeared in fewer than 1%.
The report documents a series of high-profile moments, from controversial policy announcements and walk-backs, to Oval Office photo ops with Musk’s son, to the dramatic resignation of a Treasury official. However, as the research showed, negative stories about DOGE were overshadowed by other attention-grabbing headlines, often appearing to be planted or coincidentally timed.
For example, on Jan. 31, the media largely ignored a significant resignation in response to DOGE gaining access to federal payment systems. Instead, it fixated on Trump’s unfounded suggestion that the deadly plane collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was due to DEI policies, something that Bannon later cited as a textbook example of zone flooding.
Far from shielding Musk, the very strategy designed to deflect criticism only intensified the reputational challenges he faced.
The reputation ripple effect and how it hurt Musk’s companies
Flooding the zone may delay scrutiny, but it doesn’t eliminate it. In fact, our analysis shows that when Musk appeared in DOGE coverage, negative sentiment rose significantly and so did the fallout for his companies.
- Tesla’s stock dropped 8% in a single day after Musk was grilled on DOGE accountability.
- Neuralink saw a 60% spike in negative media sentiment when linked to DOGE.
- SpaceX and Starlink experienced sharp declines in positive press when tied to Musk’s political role.
A particularly stark moment occurred on March 10, when Tesla stock fell 15.4% in a single day, marking its lowest point since Trump’s inauguration. The next day, Trump publicly declared his support for Musk and Tesla. The stock briefly rebounded. But by April, investor faith was visibly shaken.
All told, Musk is reported to have lost 25% of his wealth in these first 100 days, and Tesla’s stock fell by 24%. For a public company, those aren’t media blips, they’re sizeable threats.
Lessons for PR professionals
For communications professionals, especially those in mid-career roles, the Musk-DOGE saga offers a masterclass in modern reputational risk and why flooding the zone is a dangerous game in corporate communications.
Flooding the zone is not a shield; it’s a spotlight. While this tactic may temporarily divert attention from a crisis, it also invites more scrutiny. When everything becomes a headline, every story becomes connected and negative sentiment builds over time. In Musk’s case, the volume of media coverage only intensified scrutiny across his companies.
Media fatigue does not equal public forgiveness. Just because a negative story fades from headlines, it doesn’t mean stakeholders forget. In fact, in an oversaturated media environment, it becomes harder for positive stories to gain traction or for organisations to reclaim control of the narrative.
Visibility without credibility breeds volatility. In the political arena, dominance of the news cycle can be a sign of strength. In the corporate world, it often signals instability. Business leaders rely on consumer trust, investor confidence, and reputational consistency. If messaging becomes erratic or performative, then the cost is real and the impact can be felt across brand equity, share price and long-term influence.
Reputation in the age of saturation
We are entering a new phase of public relations, where individuals utilize media saturation as a strategic tactic. The challenge for communications professionals is learning how to manage and, at times, resist this tide. Flooding the zone may work on the political stage. But in the corporate world, it can drown the brand you’re trying to protect.
The lesson here is not to fight fire with fire, but to be strategic in what you want to be known for. Narrative discipline, trusted spokespeople and the ability to respond — not react — are always better tools than creating chaos.
Alexander V. Laskin, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at Quinnipiac University. He is an author of about 100 publications, focused primarily on investor relations, reputation management and the future of global strategic communications.
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