An Associated Press reporter snagged an interview with the person who runs the day-to-day operations of Paris’ Louvre Museum, which has faced a series of recent crises — so much so that on Tuesday its leader resigned. The interview turned out to be, for the museum, a crisis communications lost opportunity. Let us explain.

The news peg for reporter Thomas Adamson’s interview with Kim Pham, the Louvre’s general administrator (the No. 2 in charge), was the recent revelation that a ticket-fraud scheme cost the institution about $12 million over the past decade.

The Louvre (pictured) has faced other crises, most notably the October high-profile heist of the French Crown Jewels (worth $104 million), the first theft from the museum in more than 25 years. Five people have been charged, but the loot hasn’t turned up.

In addition, as Adamson notes, a water leak in December damaged hundreds of priceless books, and workers have walked out several times and conducted a wildcat strike due to alleged staff shortages and other issues.

On Tuesday, Louvre Director Laurence des Cars announced her resignation, reportedly at least in part due to these challenges. On Wednesday, Christophe Leribault, director of the Versailles Palace, was named as her replacement.

Laissez-Faire

It’s unclear what Pham’s purpose was in agreeing to the interview, but it apparently wasn’t to reassure the public. His laissez-faire attitude toward the crises, as it comes through in the 800-word article published Feb. 18, is remarkable. The typical crisis communications tack in a situation like this is to use the interview to explain what the organization is doing to address the problems.

Instead, Pham mostly opines that the setbacks were unavoidable. Is this the famous French “c’est la vie”?

For example, reporter Adamson notes that the Louvre is the world’s most-visited museum and quotes Pham saying it’s “statistically inevitable” that it would be subject to scams. “Which museum in the world, with this level of attendance, would not at certain moments have some issues of fraud,” Pham says.

Adamson writes — cheekily — “However, pressed to name other institutions with similar problems, he declined to single out peers.”

‘Biggest Museum’

Adamson asked Pham if the ticket sham “feeds a narrative of a Louvre out of control.” Pham responded, “Quite simply, the Louvre is the biggest museum in the world.” He went on to discuss the ancient history of the building.

Nine people have been charged in the ticket scheme. The allegation is that tour guides brought visitors to the museum while deceptively reusing the same tickets with the cooperation of Louvre employees. Pham blamed online ticket purchases, which he opines make fraud easier, and visitor caps imposed after the COVID-19 pandemic creating ticket scarcity and still more fraud.

As for the personnel problems, Pham says, “Staffing is at the right level for those functions.”

To be fair, Adamson tells us Pham “acknowledged shortcomings in the museum’s defenses.” He does explain some actions the institution has taken, particularly regarding the ticket scam. He points out that it was the museum that brought the scheme to the authorities’ attention. He said it now limits how many times a ticket can be validated at various checkpoints, which is meant to prevent guides from reusing them.

Two Employees

It also told two employees questioned in the case not to return to work during the investigation.

But the main issue is that the museum didn’t use the interview as a chance to reassure the public and other stakeholders that it is addressing the crises that have of late befallen it. Doing so is a big part of crisis communications.

Photo Credit: Louvre Museum via Facebook

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