Why you need to include media training in your crisis management prep
Knowing how to handle media relations is one of the core components of crisis management, but to this day there are very few organizations that really take it seriously.
In a recent case study, published on Ragan’s PR Daily, Mr. Media Training himself, Brad Phillips, told the tale of a St. Louis struggle between Deborah Smith and Roberts Brothers Properties over the removal of a dead tree.
What does this story have to do with media relations? Take a look at this description of the painfully inept reaction Roberts Brothers’ receptionist had to the local news reporter showing up at the office:
The company was unresponsive, so Smith contacted KSDK reporter Mike Rush, who paid a visit to Roberts Brothers. What happened next was rather stunning.
The receptionist not only refused to buzz the reporter in, but hid under her desk for half an hour, occasionally peeking up to see if the reporter was still there. In so doing, she gave the reporter exactly what he wanted—a great visual that made his piece that much more interesting.
Yes, an adult literally hid, under her desk, for thirty minutes, peeking nervously up periodically like she was playing the world’s most awkward game of hide-and-seek. It sounds completely ridiculous, but it’s not at all uncommon for people to have just that type of panicked reaction when they’re cornered, untrained and unprepared.
How do you avoid behavior that screams to the public that you have a guilty conscience?
Training, of course. Reporters are not always going to “play fair,” they will show up in unexpected places, and they certainly won’t wait for an answer from a reclusive CEO if they can catch someone else who’s willing to talk. That’s why it’s important to media train not only your leadership, but also everyone else in your organization.
With solid media training, every member of your organization can become an asset to crisis management. They will know what they can say, what they can’t, and when and how to refer reporters to another source within the company without sounding like they’ve got something to hide.
Of course, if you don’t want to do that you could just install monitors under every desk so your crew can keep working while ducking reporters, it’s up to you.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/
Comments 2
If your organization is doing naughty stuff (or not), being prepared for a journalistic inquiry is a no-brainer. How many times have we seen a 60 Minutes visit catch a business or government leader totally flat-footed. Perhaps one cannot always be ready for a sudden surprise attack but refusing an interview or ducking leaves an immediate negative (guilty) impression with the media and also misses an opportunity for expressing your side of a story. No guarantee that your perspective will make it to air or print but well-focused and prepared spokespersons are going to typically create a more positive outcome than the media reporting “(the business name) was not available for comment” or “repeated attempts by this reporter at contacting (he executive) were ignored.” Of course not every media inquiry, particularly by known, hostile reporters (with an agenda) demand an immediate response. Choose your battles and make the response appropriate to the situation. Being prepared? Yeah, I learned that in Scouts. Still excellent advice. If things aren’t as your company would like them reported, get busy fixing them before your dirty laundry gets publicly aired and you can bet that it eventually will
Author
Thanks for the comment Ford, you certainly make some good points. I think you may have given me an idea for a new post too, I wonder what other lessons from the Scouts could be applied to crisis management…