During difficult times, reporters
are about as welcome as a root canal. Of course, you don’t
have to talk to them. Instead, you can employ what I call “Option
Two—Freedom from the Press.” I coined the term when
I observed a beet-red CEO of a large corporation (after a particularly
difficult press conference) mumble, “In this country,
there is freedom of the press, and it’s too bad we don’t
have freedom from the press.” If you choose to employ
Option Two, however, you should be prepared to deal with the
consequences.
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Reporters are just like other people—they
need their jobs. Since they’ve been sent by their editors
to get the story, they will not return to their bosses empty
handed and be fired just  because
you refused to cooperate. Instead, they will speak to anyone
who (1) looks like they know something and, (2) is available
before their news deadline and works for your company. This
could mean someone who you don’t personally know—and
who probably knows less about the emergency situation than
you—is going to speak on behalf of your company. This
may result in a phone call from your CEO, whose view of company
press relations may not include Option Two, your freedom from
the press. The point of all of this is that there are no good
options except to talk to reporters even when you really don’t
want to talk to them.
For the purposes of this article, I’ll assume your
company has already established a location for a media reception
and briefing center near, but not next to your command post.
I’ll also assume that you have a system in place that
will provide accurate, up-to-date information. Here are some
tips on the basics of surviving your encounters with the media.
General Tips When Dealing with the Media
1. The first and most important rule is that you should
not view the process of providing media with information
as an adversarial proceeding. Be honest and open but do
not speculate. The probability is that reporters will want
to know a lot more about a particular event than you know
at the time, especially during the initial phase. Provide
reporters only with confirmed information. It is OK to say
that you “don’t know the answer to that question
because that information is not yet available.” It
is never acceptable to answer a question with “no
comment.” If there’s a reason why a question
can’t be answered, tell the reporter why and make
sure you answer the question when it is appropriate. The
most important thing is to maintain your personal credibility
and the credibility of the company you represent.
2. Talk about what your company is doing to mitigate the
emergency (rather than what it is not doing), and recognize
that it is most important to place public and employee health
and safety issues at the top of your media agenda. If, for
example, there has been a spill of hazardous materials,
you should first talk about the steps your company is taking
to protect the health and safety of employees. This may
include the fact that your company has detailed procedures
to deal with these events and has conducted necessary training
in these procedures for all involved employees.
3. Be available to the media. It’s a good idea to plan
on conducting regular media briefings until the emergency
has ended. If you’re new at this game, the best way
to handle a briefing is to start with a prepared statement.
This is really an update on events that have transpired
since the last briefing and should include the five “w’s”
of the journalist’s trade—who, what, when, where
and why. Don’t try to overwhelm the media with your
technical knowledge. Use plain, easily-understandable language
to explain what happened. Avoid technical jargon. The media
will want to ask questions, so tell them just how much time
can be allotted for that purpose, and stick to it. Remember,
you’re in control.
4. Don’t say anything to a reporter that you wouldn’t
want to read about in tomorrow’s newspapers. In today’s
highly competitive media environment, there is no such thing
as an “off the record” conversation. Assume
that every microphone or television camera near you is “live”
at all times. Assume anything you say that is conducted
near a microphone or a television camera (even in the most
casual conversation) could be in the next newscast.
The On-Camera Experience
Television cameras can be frightening and intimidating, but
you can survive the experience. It’s important to remember
that television viewers will draw their judgments on how well
your company is handling the emergency based, to some extent,
on what you say and how you say it. This means that your body
language, particularly your facial expressions, will be magnified
because the camera will most likely be focused on your upper
body. A calm, serious expression on your face works better
than a frown, grimace or an incongruous grin.
 During
a one-on-one interview, do not shift your gaze away from the
reporter who is asking the questions. If you normally wear
sunglasses, remove them before the interview. In small-market
television, the reporter and television camera operator will
be the same person. In these “one horse” newsrooms,
it is likely that the reporter will ask you the questions
from behind the camera where he or she can check to see whether
it is properly functioning. If this is the case, speak directly
to the camera. In larger markets, the reporter will be accompanied
by a camera operator and most likely will ask you questions
while standing to your side. If this is the case, look directly
at the reporter and not at the camera.
As a general rule, answer only those questions you are asked.
Do not volunteer information. Edit yourself by keeping your
responses short and to the point. Most television news stories
are short, averaging less than one minute in length and the
long detailed answers will be edited. The shorter your answer,
the less chance your comments will be edited.
If you make a factual mistake during an interview, tell the
reporter that you would like to correct your statement and
then re-answer the question with the correct information.
If you can, prepare for the interview in advance by developing
answers to a few of the key questions you think will be asked.
In Summary
During an emergency, the media plays an important role in
keeping your company’s stakeholders informed. You must
take the extra and sometimes uncomfortable step to accommodate
the requirements of reporters who may know nothing about your
business prior to the emergency. This calls for availability
on your part as well as the understanding that, by and large,
representatives of the media want to report the story as accurately
and honestly as possible. By providing the press with confirmed
information via regular briefings and the opportunity for
one-on-one interviews, you are taking the right steps to help
communicate your company’s story to the public.
Gerald L. Rockower is a 27-year veteran of the Public Affairs
and Corporate Communications staff at the Niagara Mohawk Power
Corporation. He is an experienced emergency communicator and
served as the company’s liaison to the Franklin County
Emergency Operations Center during the January 1998 ice storm,
which disrupted electric service in six counties of northern
New York State.
Reprinted with permission of Disaster
Recovery Journal. © Copyright 2000 Systems Support
Inc.
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