Dancing With Porcupines

Fear Not!There are

techniques for dealing with the media that make the whole process much less painful. Sometimes you even enjoy the dance.

Five minutes before the party is not the time to learn how to dance.

~Snoopy

Philosophy to Live By

Purpose • To give you a clear hands-on understanding of how to handle the media during crisis and non-crisis situations.

• To prepare you to effectively communicate with the media in a way which will your organization.

• To take the fear out of the words, “Channel 4 is on the phone.”

Be PreparedIn all cases involving a

potential crisis;• You should be the one

to determine if it is a crisis.

• You should be there, in person, ready for anything.

• It may be a routine situation, but you must . . Be Prepared!

Five Stages of Communication

Management• Identify

– Who is involved? What is going on? Where did it happen? How did it happen? Why did it happen? Who is impacted?

• Containment– How do we contain this

from a communication perspective?

• Communication– Internal and External

• Correction– How do we move on?

• Recovery– The time it will take for

people to forget that it happened.

Five Stages of Communication

Management

Ground Rules• Who comes first in the line of

communication?• There is no substitute for the

FULL TRUTH.• Your personal opinions are

NULL and Inappropriate.• Don’t speculate. • There is no such thing as “Off

the Record.”• ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH!

Don’t bluff.

Communicating with the Media

Your Goal As A Communicator Is

To Be:Understood

BelievedTrusted

When Media Calls

• Always document calls from the media, even if the call is not regarding a crisis.

• Make sure you get the reporter’s name, affiliation, the reason for the call, and a number where he or she can be reached.

• If the reporter is working on a deadline, make sure to note that.

• The more you know, the better.

• Who else needs to know?• Be available and put staff

on alert to provide any information relating to the story.

• Make sure secretaries and assistants are trained on this process.

• If the media knows something, your staff needs to know it too!

When Media Calls, cont ..

Media Traps

• Negatives• Hypothetical Questions• Blind Source• Third Party Inquiries• Don’t go “Off the Record.”• Don’t say “No comment.”• Filling Silence• Keep your composure.

Bridging

QUESTIONS = ANSWER + ONE

• Determine three key points that you want to get across.

• After each answer, add one of your key points.

• Example.– “Yes that is true, and the

safety of our students has always been, and will continue to be, one of our highest priorities.”

Do’s & Do Not’sDO• Have a reason

to be there.• Say, “I don’t

know.”• Say, “That is

under investigation.

• Tell the truth.• Keep your

composure.• Be prepared.• Bridge

DO NOT• Cry.• Say, “No

Comment.”• Get Mad.• Pick fights with

the media.• Feel pressured

to bluff.• Go “Off the

Record.”• Give one word

answers.

Remember

• A successful encounter with the Media is one where you understand there is more than one agenda. The key to doing this is to be in control.–Determine when the

interview starts.–Get your agenda across

using bridging techniques.

–Determine when the interview ends.