Media Relations: A Brief Guide to Crisis Communication

By Scot Kersgaard, JVA

If a crisis develops that causes the media to call, do not say something you will regret later. Do not speculate. If taken by surprise, take the reporter’s number and tell them you will call back by a specific time.

Keep a list of all media calls, names, names of media organizations, contact info, questions they asked. Call them back as soon as you can accurately answer their questions.

Gather the facts about what did or did not happen. Get the situation under control.

Give the media as much information as you can as soon as you can. Tell the truth, quickly and accurately—but not prematurely.

Maintaining a level of control

Announce your own bad news if you can. This allows you to maintain some control. Being forthright with the facts will make you a go-to source during the crisis, which is much better than letting the key facts come from someone who may not have your best interest in mind.

If there are reporters or media organizations that have written positively about you, that you have good relations with, call them immediately. They are likely to try to see things from your point of view. If they hear about it through a media announcement you send everyone or from a competing media outlet, they will resent it and you may have turned a friend into an enemy.

The more you can own the story, decide who will say what to the press and when they will say it, the better. Understand, though, that the media will do whatever it takes to get the story. That is their job. You cannot stop them from doing it. If you make it easy for them to get what they need, they might not go looking for other sources.

In the beginning, do not name victims, estimate financial losses, discuss insurance, speculate on the cause of the problem, fix blame or name a perpetrator. Let the police or other officials do this. The last thing you want to do is blame someone who turns out not to be at blame.

Never say “no comment.” Instead, admit that you don’t have all the facts yet, and that you will update the media when you do.

On the other hand, not all allegations are true, not all negative publicity is deserved. If someone is spreading false information about you, deny and defend… or ignore it, depending on the circumstances. Offer proof that the allegations are not true, as appropriate.

When the crisis is over, publicly change any policies that contributed to the problem.

Anticipating a crisis

If there is a possible crisis you can anticipate, be ready. For instance, if you work with kids/youth, you should be ready for an allegation of sexual misbehavior by staff or volunteers. You should discuss how you would handle such a claim and even have generic written statements drafted and ready. Discuss your plan and potential statements with your attorney and board prior to a crisis.

Likewise, consider how you would handle financial improprieties, violence, a bus accident, etc.

As you look at these possible crises, ask what policies and procedures you have to prevent them from happening in the first place. Beef these policies up as needed. The media may ask you for these policies during or immediately after a crisis. They should look like the important documents they are. Create them on letterhead, spellchecked, etc. The better they look, the better they will be perceived.

Create a crisis communications plan that states at the least who will gather the facts, who will call the families of victims (if any), who will talk to the press, who will talk to the police or other officials, who will keep staff and volunteers or other internal audiences informed. This plan needs to be updated as staff leave or new staff are hired. This needs to include everyone’s cell phone or pager number.

Constantly review and improve the policies you have created to prevent crises from occurring.