The Fourth Estate. The Uninvited Guest. Whatever you call them, the media are a force that safety officers must reckon with after an incident. Let’s continue the discussion of how to manage the media.

Be Proactive: If possible, call reporters before they call you. They’ll love you for sparing them the hassle of tracking you down for information. Being proactive also enables you to manage your message. Write down three or four bullet points to pass along to the reporters and stick to the script with each reporter.

Talk, Don’t Write: Emailing reporters is easier than calling. But it’s also impersonal and by denying direct interaction, may create the impression that you have something to hide. So try to speak with the reporters, even if you fear being misquoted. Anticipate and prepare for the tough questions reporters are likely to ask before calling. Make sure you’re ready to discuss:

• What happened;
• When it happened;
• How it happened;
• How many people it hurt or affected;
• Whether things are safe now; and
• What you’re doing to correct the situation and ensure it never happens again.

Know Your Reporters: Most reporters aren’t out to get you. But they won’t go out of their way to make you look good, either. They’re after a story, but not always the story that you want them to tell. Read their publications to see how they write, what kinds of questions they ask and what they’ve said about your industry in the past.

State the Obvious: It’s your responsibility to ensure that reporters understand what you’re talking about. Don’t assume reporters know anything about your company, your business or the incident that just happened. Spell it all out—even if it seems obvious and even if you’ve already explained things to the same reporter on previous occasions. If you want them to know something, tell them.

Correcting Reporters’ Mistakes: If reporters make a mistake, by all means call and correct them so they don’t keep repeating the mistake over and over again. But keep in mind that there’s a difference between calling to correct information that impacts the public and complaining about the tone of the story. Sometimes, mistakes are an opportunity to turn a negative report into a positive one.

Example: A local TV reporter aired a scathing report about broken security cameras at one of this country’s busiest airports. The report was loaded with inaccuracies, but not the kind of inaccuracies that would harm public safety. So, instead of calling the reporter to complain, the airport offered another local TV station an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at airport security. The station eagerly accepted and ended up running a positive story watched by a much larger audience than viewed the original negative report by the rival station.

Conclusion

A final word of advice: Don’t speculate if a reporter asks you a hypothetical question. Stick to the confirmed facts. If you don’t know the answer, say so. If you do know the answer but can’t disclose the information, explain why, e.g., because answering the question would force you to disclose information that could jeopardize security. If the reporter presses you, hold steady. Remember, the only person who should be putting words in your mouth is yourself!

Wishing you career success,
Lauryn Franzoni
ExecuNet, www.execunet.com

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