social media crisis response, lori miller whnt news 19

Lori Miller WHNT News 19 @lorimillerwhnt

SOCIAL MEDIA CRISIS RESPONSE

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Misperception left unchallenged becomes perception

@lorimillerwhnt

Plan Assign Train Watch Respond Update

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PLAN

OPEN MICROPHONE ACCIDENT

INAPPROPRIATE PERSONAL POSTS

REPORTING JUDGEMENT

What keeps you up at night?

hoax talent and hoax station accounts website failure / server failure copyright infringement / litigation retransmission disagreements > blackouts, public name-calling, etc. FCC violations– contest material term breaches, public file violations, etc. contest legal challenges prize problems with contests or offers public outcry over commercial content breach of advertising contract billing issues publicity release violations for commercials accident at the station accident on location workplace violence protesters kidnapping / extortion invasion / station takeover non-employee illegal entry

inappropriate social media post WHNT vs personal post accident open microphone accident on-air inappropriate release of behind scenes footage arrests – DUI, assault, drug possession, abuse talent termination legal issues - bankruptcy, breach of contract allegations of wrongdoing public grousing unprofessional behavior personal opinion affecting station objectivity error in reporting > slander / liable claims allegations of bias weather / reporting error > injury, damage incoming phone call error > injury, damage release of confidential information hacked WHNT accounts blocked access to WHNT accounts

SCENARIOS

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DECISION GUIDE

Things that Get Posts Deleted or Get People Banned from Facebook • Strong offensive language • Racism • Threats • Falsely identifying themselves as WHNT employees or

charitable organizations • Endless self-promotion “We cut trees. Call us, our

number is …” • Personal phone numbers “Call me, my number is …”

(judgment call) • Explicit sexual innuendo

POLICY EXAMPLES

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Things We Don’t Necessarily Like, But We Tolerate: • Mild offensive language (hell, damn) • Mild name calling (“you idiot”) • References to other stations (even if frequent) • Negative comments about our station, coverage, mets “Oh

no, [anchor] is lecturing again…” or “your team should be ashamed…you call this news?”

• Combative, provocative or frequent off-topic comments “if you claim to be a Christian then you'd understand the concept of grace.”

POLICY EXAMPLES

“Use your best judgment, but lean toward tolerance.”

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ASSIGN

Team Lead Spokesperson Media Queries / Log Web Lead Social Media Lead Monitoring Online Monitoring Broadcast External Writing (talking points, releases) Telephone Response Email Response

TEAM RESPONSIBILITIES

TRAIN

To achieve great things, two things are needed -- a plan, and not quite enough time. Leonard Bernstein

THREE KEY ELEMENTS OF A DRILL POLICY: Does your policy specifically address this scenarios? How would we have responded differently? Have all employees seen the plan? Can everyone find it?

PLANNING: Are the instructions clear? Did they start at the right place? What additional processes or policies would have helped? Do you list your partners and contact information? Could you respond within an hour?

PEOPLE Do they understand the boundaries? Who slowed the process down? Did people stay within their roles? Do they lack useful skill sets?

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WHNT created a Facebook page in August 2008. How might we handle things if this scenario happened today?

WATCH

WATCH Routinely monitor for… Mentions Problems Successes Competitive maneuvers Identity theft

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RESPOND

TEAM RESPONSIBILITIES - WEATHER

EMAIL PHONES

WEB-WX

FACEBOOK TWITTER

METRICS TICKER

TEAM

NEWS

• Don’t delay (“I don’t know” is still an answer) • Keep it human • Empathize • Keep it short • Reply with links to official statements • Clarify and correct misinformation • Use viewers first names • Take it offline if appropriate • Use subheads if scanning is important (disaster

response)

RESPONSE TACTICS

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“We are not amused.”

November 2011

Keep your cool. Always.

UPDATE

NO EXCUSES Not in my job description

No one’s asked me

No one will let me

I can’t get it approved

I don’t have time

I don’t have the experience

a PARTIAL UNAPPROVED

plan is STILL BETTER than

no plan at all.

Thank you

Lori Miller Sales Marketing and Research Manager| WHNT News 19

lori.miller@whnt.com @lorimillerwhnt linkedin/in/blorimiller