Seven Successful Secrets
Seven Secrets of Successful Crisis News Management ...
12/09/20071. Never speculate or apportion blame - your insurers won't like it and the true cause of an accident may be unexpected. A widely-reported 'gangland killing' in Liverpool some years ago turned out to be a straightforward suicide by a bank employee who had been sacked a few hours earlier for embezzlement.
2. Never name victims - unless you have absolutely rock-solid confirmation that police have informed next-of-kin. Even if next-of-kin know it can be a dreadful shock for other family members to learn of a close relative's serious injury or death via a radio or TV bulletin.
3. Never embroider - Keep Interviews Short & Simple (KISS). You need to provide a few basic facts to prevent the more disreputable hacks from making up the story but you should not be in the business of writing a reporter's story for him. A reporter's requirements may conflict with your responsibilities to your company or clients. Any extravagant or colourful language or overstating the case will almost certainly come back to haunt you.
4. Never say: 'No comment' - you'll sound guilty even if you're innocent. This may seem to conflict with No 3 (above).Generally, you will be able to give a few basic facts which will help a reporter tell their story. And try to take the heat out of hot moments. You may be under great stress - and reporters may put you under even more pressure - but it's not a good idea to make things worse by antagonising journalists. Don't raise your voice or appear rattled as this could suggest that you are 'guilty'. Stay calm.
5. Always keep promises to the media - i.e. timing of news releases and interviews. Journalists - particularly broadcasters - work to very tight deadlines. Nothing is more guaranteed to attract negative coverage than failing to deliver information to them at, say, 10.45am. 11.05am is no good - they've missed the bulletin and will be facing untold grief from their news editor. This will rapidly be transferred to you.
6. Always be human and sympathetic - a crisis involving employees/clients/children requires tact and understanding. Using appropriate language sounds so obvious, yet many interviews on sensitive subjects sound as impersonal and lacking in feeling as an instruction manual for assembling flat-pack furniture. Offering appropriate sympathy is not an admission of guilt.
7. Always tell the truth - a few white lies early on never prove to be a Get-Out-of-Jail-Free card in the long term. It took years to bring Jeffrey Archer to justice but relentless investigation eventually revealed the truth and he went to prison. When you know the truth, a 'quick bleed' is usually better than allowing the facts to emerge. If you've made a mistake, admit it. But, don't say too much too soon - be guided by legal advice and your insurers. You need to know the full facts first. Journalists and the general public can accept mistakes - we're all human - but we all want to know that lessons have been learned and that this is less likely to happen again. Of course, no two accidents are ever quite the same and accidents - by their very nature - will continue to happen.
Follow these guidelines and you may prevent a crisis turning into a disaster.
