2011.08.12 -- media survival skills ppt (league of cities conference)

8/6/2019 2011.08.12 -- Media Survival Skills PPT (League of Cities Conference)

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Media Relations 101Florida League of CitiesCrisis Communications & Media

Training

Lisa Nason Ron SachsCommunicationsAugust 12, 2011


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Florida League of Cities Florida Association of Health Plans Governors Adoption Initiative Florida Association of Counties Florida Association of Court Clerks Florida Association of Health Plans Florida Association of Insurance

Agents Florida Association of theAmerican Institute of Architects

Florida Center for Performing Artsand Education

The Byrd Alzheimers Center &Research Institute

Florida Department of Health The Florida Nurses Association Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Whole Child Leon

Leading Media Professionals


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Presentation Overview:Media Training

Crisis Communications

Media Relations 101


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Why Engage? In addition to education andadvocacy, proactive mediarelations is a critical component

of the overall public affairseffort to tell your story:

Dispel myths or inaccuracies

Media Relations and PublicAffairs


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ITS A JOB!

Reporters are not the enemy Tremendous pressure from editors for

decent stories Short deadlines, lean staff Competition on multiple fronts:

Social media

Print vs. ElectronicREMEMBER to HARO!Help A Reporter Out

The Role of the Media


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Trust is the Coin of the Realm1.Never Lie. Ever. For Any Reason

You will get caught Your reputation as a source will be destroyed

2.Never leave the media empty-handed Be a resource - HARO Respect deadlines

3.You dont have to tell everything you know Stick to the focus of the story Off the record doesnt exist, so dont blab

Media Rules


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Fact Sheet Comprehensive, but easy to understand Media and Audience Resource

Q&A

Remember: HARO! Make it easy for others tounderstand Drive the message ask questions you want to answer Good interview preparation tool (and media resource)

Bios, Maps, Graphics, Charts, Statistics Success Stories or Profiles make the story come

alive with real people and real stories

Media Materials Media Kit


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Media List Critically important to target properly local

government reporters; Capitol Press Corps;assignment editors

Dont forget online industry publications andadvocacy sites

News Aggregators

Talk Radio

Public Access & Local Government TV

Which Media?


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Who is the media?


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Make Your Own News TruthSerum Show the Human Impact Have a Local Angle to connect to bigger stories Be ready to act! Timing is everything Develop News Hooks Tie into current media cycle

Make It Memorable Announce something in a new and novel way (HARO!) Think in terms of visuals photo and film Include Media worthy participants and props

Golden Fleece

Media Strategies


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Media Strategy: Issue a Report,Poll, New Data, Study


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Know your deadlines!

Dont call a reporter after 3:00pm unless youhave breaking news or an update

Dont have an event after 2:00pm if you want tomake a 5:00pm package

To hold a news conference in the Capitol, you will

need a sponsor (Senator/Representative) Prepare for the media: multbox, risers, mic stand

Logistics


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Be Prepared!

Identify three to five key messages (Fact Sheet) Anticipate tough questions (Q&A)

Shape your message Be brief, and say what you mean Prepare sound bites, your most important points

Be prepared for success Speak simply

Be brief, but avoid yes/no answers. Dont use too many statistics Dont use professional jargon Avoid acronyms

The Interview


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Camera Ready! Be brief Act natural Stand Up!

Dont fidget. Use gestures sparingly Speak directly to the interviewer Look at the reporter, not the camera STOP TALKING WHEN YOU ARE DONE

The Interview


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Control Your Message

- Tell the story your way, regardless of the question.

- Dont rush to respond - it is okay to pause.

- Make sure that every statement is a message and

that the statement is yours.

- STOP TALKING WHEN YOU ARE DONE

The Interview


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Control your message with the bridge technique:

1. What is more important is to take a look at

2. Before we continue, let me emphasize that3. No, let me explain

4. While I cant answer that, it is essential that I

5. Here is the real issue

6. STOP TALKING WHEN YOU ARE DONE.

The Interview


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Think youre done?

1.Assume the camera is still rolling, or that themicrophone is still on

2.Remember there is no Off the Record3.Assume that you will be taken out of context

it will happen frequently

4. If you are actually misquoted or a factual

error occurs, immediately seek to have acorrection issued, and if appropriate, thatonline editions are also corrected.

The Interview


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Presentation Overview:Media Training


Media Relations 101


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What is a Crisis? (3 different types)

Operational Crisis Emergency (Reactive) Organizational Crisis Issue Management (Proactive) Organizational Crisis Reputation Repair (Reactive)

1.Case Study: RS&H (Emergency Event)

2.Case Study: HRMC (Issue Management)

3.Case Study: FBC (Reputation Repair)



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Definition of a Crisis Emergency: Self-evident. (natural disaster;

technology/equipment related; human error)

Issue Management: An unstable condition

involving the likelihood of an impendingabrupt or decisive change (i.e., critical reportor media coverage, imminent legal decision)

Reputation Repair: Integrity or reputation ofan individual or organization is threatened(brewing scandal)


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RS&H

National Engineering and TransportationConsultants 26 U.S. offices November 6, 2009 Fatal WorkplaceViolence In a 20 minute time period, RS&H wentfrom normal operations to live on CNN.

Case Study: Emergency Crisis


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1. Company was in a REACTIVE MODE- CEO was traveling. Genuine confusion about

details- No crisis communication plan existed

2. Scramble to deal with media Local affiliates scrambling for information and

interviews AGGRESSIVE PRESS CORPS GET THE

INTERVIEW! National media interest. GET THE INTERVIEW! RS&H sought crisis communication help within 24

hours

Crisis Details


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1. Local media relations Live Press Conference with C-level execs, law

enforcement, Mayor, Clergy Provided CONTROLLED access to small pool of

employees, access to family of injured Daily news releases; milestone press conferences

2. National media relations Debunking myths (Lou Dobbs) Correcting the record (by-the-book termination) Reinforce the corporate brand: commitment to

improvement. Review by safety expert.

Handling the Crisis


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1. Stopped rumor mill among media, employees

2. Stopped aggressive pursuit of RS&Hemployees by engaging in exhaustive mediarelations

3. Retained a strong, loyal workforce

4. Corporate Brand INTACT! Reinforced thecorporate brand & commitment to continuousimprovement, review of operations, facilitiesby industrial design and safety experts

Crisis Outcome: SUCCESS


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Independent Public Hospital Event: Lawsuit-Mediation Announcement Company was in PROACTIVE MODE Development of Integrated Issue

Management Plan

Case Study: Issue Crisis


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Crisis Communications Plan Approved: March 9, 2010 Executed: March, April, May, June 2010 Plan Evaluation Effectiveness Review: July 13, 2010

GOAL: Insure the continued reputation of hospital as thepremier provider of healthcare and trauma services in thecounty.

STRATEGY: Combat negative perceptions about hospital thatmay have arisen as a result of legal proceedings through a

media campaign to highlight the accomplishments of theTrauma Program, physicians, and special capabilities.

Handling the Crisis


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PLAN: Execute integrated positive publicity, paidplacement and proactive media relations campaign

Meet with Editorial Board Meet with feature writer Organize CEO or leadership blogs Solicit Letters to the Editor Develop creative campaign for paid placement Create one page flyer for internal posting Draft and distribute PSAs Create earned media photo-op event Create Feature News Release Secure Op-Ed Placement

Handling the Crisis


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Two featured opinion columns were placed One strongly favorable earned editorial (Op-Ed) was

achieved Two favorable Business Editor commentary columns

were achieved Three positive feature articles were achieved Accuracy and intent of article headlines improved

dramatically 100% of potentially negative news packages were

squashed Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE) of earned media:

$163,000

Crisis Outcome: SUCCESS


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FBC Floridas Blood Centers

1.Year long slow-burn in Orlando Sentinelover perceptions of lavish spending andinappropriate relationships (financial)between agency and board members.

2.Sentinel focus resulted in Senate hearings3.Negative attention is leading to steadystring of board resignations

Case Study: Reputation Crisis


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1. Brewing controversy over gift cards2. Outrage over CEO salary ($600+K)3. Senate Hearings pledge of change4. Undisclosed CEO performance bonus5. Employee layoffs6. Orlando Sentinel calls for resignation

Note: EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MANAGEREPUTATION REPAIR IF LEADERSHIP DOES NOTACKNOWLEDGE PROBLEM!

Crisis Details


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1. Arrogance toward Media Stonewall attitude (Its just one newspaper!) Policy of No Comment by Board Policy of not providing records (Were not in the

sunshine.)

Policy of no interviews by media relations staff Policy of no editorial board contact (They are theenemy!)

2. No proactive reputation management

Others (media, public) were allowed to define thestory

Community advocates were taken for granted Employees were ignored

Handling the Crisis


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Resign In taking a pay hike and dragging herfeet on reform, the CEO has shown she's not fit to

lead blood bank.

Crisis Outcome: UNFAVORABLE

FIRST CALL TO PR FIRM:

February 20, 2010

HEADLINEFebruary 19, 2010


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Handling the CrisisCrisis Communication Principles:

Never try to lie, deny or hide involvement.

When the news is bad, tell the truth and tell is fast!

If you ignore the situation it will only get worse.

Don't let the lawyers make the decisions!! While they are well

intentioned it may cause the crisis to escalate

The public and media decides what they are interested in not us!

Protecting a reputation is far easier than repairing. Public relations

professionals must serve as voices of caution and counsel!Evaluate who wins: Court of Law versus the Court of Public Opinion?


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Development of Crisis Communications PlanDo It NOW!

Meet with Senior Executives NOW! (tell it to sell it)

1. Plan elementsa.

Guiding Principlesb. Crisis Team include contact grid; Update every 30 daysc. Assign Key Roles (Contact Grid; Spokesperson)

2. Media prep media list, fact sheets,3. Primary Contact Points Front Desk Phones4.

Message Development Develop Scenarios5. Media Training for Company Executives6. Protocols for Interested Media (Non-adversarial)

Crisis Communication Planning


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Questions and Answers

2011.08.12 -- media survival skills ppt (league of cities conference)

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