Communicating in a Time of Crisis

Public and media relations: Communicating in a time of crisis… Getting to know your local media before disaster strikes
Presented by:
Monica Bardier of PingPR
and Scott Tranchemontagne of Montagne Communications.

What is Public Relations?
Public Relations is NOT Advertising
You do NOT pay for placing any PR
It is often referred to “Earned Media”, you earn the placement

Know your Media – Print
Wire Services – Associated Press, Dow Jones, Bloomberg, etc.
A primary source for all outlets
Same stories published in many different papers
Newspapers
Circulation falling annually more than 5%
Newspaper website viewership is rising 10% annually
Magazines
Circulation rising
Number of magazine titles holding steady

Know Your Media – Radio
Very few “local” stations - rise of the “networks”
Good
Favorable coverage on one station gets aired on many stations
Bad
Negative coverage on one station gets aired on many stations
Fewer reporters and programs = fewer opportunities for coverage

Know Your Media – Television
Dominant news source - penetrates 98% of households nationwide
66% of Americans say broadcast is the primary source of news – Pew Research Center
Ave. adult watches more than 5 hours per day – 31 min. watching news
Fragmented audience – more channels than ever
Still the dominant source in a crisis situation

Know Your Media – Internet, the new big dog
Now a primary source of breaking news
41% say the internet is their primary source of international, national news – Pew Research
Blurs deadlines – and blends mediums
Allows worldwide exposure – instantly, and lives online forever
Average adult surfs 75 minutes per day
Social Media has changed all the rules – now a dialogue
Blogs, Reader Comments – “citizen journalists”
Twitter, Facebook, Linked-In – the media is part of the dialogue

Know Your Media - DEADLINES
National, Regional, State, Local
Hourly, Daily, Weekly, Bi-weekly, Monthly
Deadlines
Newsrooms:
how are they receiving information? Email, phone, fax, social media
Build a Reporter Database
Name, contact information, what do they cover, general beat, business, politics, feature

What are your Critical Media Outlets?
What newspapers are your customers/key stakeholders reading?
What radio stations are your customers/stakeholders listening to?
What TV stations are your customers/stakeholders viewing?
Lamar Alexander in NH Primary – Dan Rather vs. Tom Griffith?
What websites are your customers visiting?

Pop Quiz?
Which interview is more important?
Convenience store owner with the local, community paper?
State Representative on the hometown radio station?
Fortune 500 Company CEO on a network TV news program?

Pop Quiz: Answer
A: They are equally important!
Know your critical audience
There is no such thing as an “small” news outlet anymore
PSNH “Lobster-gate”

The Media’s Mission
MythTo protect the public interests and shed light on the truth – objectively.
Fact
Primary goal of radio/television newscasts - increase ratings
Primary goal of newspapers/magazines - increase readership
3 C’s – crisis, crime, conflict
The quest for ratings and readers drives intense media competition.
TruthWebster’s – That which accords with reality – an established or verified fact.
Montagne - Truth is how the facts are defined. Define the truth for the media, or they will define it for you.

Defining the Truth
Example – Fire at Seabrook Station!!!
Wastebasket fire in the control room – doused quickly with water
Automatic plant shutdown
Alert level raised
Must be reported to NRC per regulations
Never had any incident before
“Officials at Seabrook nuclear power plant today battled a control room blaze – the most dangerous incident ever at the nuke plant. Operators immediately shut down Seabrook during the blaze and raised the plant’s safety alert level to 4. Federal officials were called in to investigate….”
Or
“Minor incident at Seabrook Station today. No one was hurt, and no radiation leaked – as operators in the control room acted quickly to douse a small fire in a wastebasket that was sparked by a stray piece of solder…”

The Truth About All Reporters & Editors
Human - sometimes make mistakes
Subconscious biases just like everyone else
Different egos
Different levels of education and ethical standards
Boston media vs. NH media
Boston - experienced, specialized, sophisticated
NH - less experienced, generalists
News is whatever one reporter or editor thinks is news

How the News Happens…
It’s Manufactured
Media release, media conference, grand openings, demonstrations, etc
Good proactive approach
“Stuff” Happens
Fires, crime, accidents, political happenings, sports events, etc.
Pay attention to how these might impact your company or organization
Media Initiative
Anniversaries, trends, feature stories, year-end reviews, previews – Y2K anyone?
Anticipate opportunities to provide comment as an expert in your field
Related Action or Incident
Localizing national regional/national stories, could it happen here?, etc.
Anticipate opportunities to provide comment as an expert in your field

Be Prepared!
Step One: Know Your Own Story
Know the Facts
Define your Message
Who, What, When, Where, Why

Be Prepared!
Step Two: Develop materials on your company
Media kit: background, mission, products, key services, key contacts
Develop a targeted media list: media outlet, editor, reporter name, phone, email
Step Three: Develop a Media Relations Protocol
Who is your media spokesperson?
What is your plan to communicate with the media?

Summary Tips for Print Reporters
Be prepared to spend time delivering more details – but concisely.
Develop a rapport with the reporter – they will interpret and present your words.
Provide as much background information as possible.
You are NEVER off the record when talking to a reporter.

Summary Tips for Radio Interviews
Be prepared to deliver your messages in 10-15 second sound bites
You are your voice – make sure listeners can clearly understand your words
Provide additional background, if possible, when the mike is OFF
If you are near a microphone, assume it is ON, and you are being
recorded or broadcast

Summary tips for Television Interviews
Give them what they need – your story in 10-15 second sound bites
What you say about yourself visually is most important – demeanor, dress, comfort level
Speak to the interviewer – build a one-on-one rapport with viewers
Offer supporting visuals – props, charts, video footage
If you’re near a camera – keep your game face on

Winning techniques for all Interviews
Key messages you want readers/listeners/viewers to receive
Anticipate the worst to be your best – practice the toughest questions
Be yourself. Perform, don’t act
Speak plainly - No jargon, abbreviations, or throwaway phrases
Know when to say when - make your point and stop
Speak with energy and enthusiasm – especially for radio or TV
Never say “no comment”
Never lie or “fudge it”

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Communicating in a Time of Crisis

by NH Division of Economic Development

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