JOURN 4256 1st Edition Lecture 13 Outline of Last Lecture I Social Media a Websites b Reasons to use social media why it matters c Social media content strategy d Social media terms e Metrics Outline of Current Lecture II Crisis communication a Four tenets b Plan spokesperson III Dealing with the media Current Lecture Crisis communication and dealing with the media Four tenets 1 First contact CEO and head of PR 2 CEO is ultimate decision maker and primary spokesperson backed up with subject background and technical experts 3 Full disclosure tell the truth including what you don t know 4 Every action should seek to protect brand integrity rep market value These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute Don t panic you don t have to respond to the media right away Have a plan Serves as a road map Should help describe and define what is a crisis Definition of crisis may vary Have a team Should be established before a crisis occurs Typically includes CEO COO PR Communication Director Senior attorney Safety officer chief of security Have all contact info for team members Choose a spokesperson Senior official Trained in dealing with the media Capable of making company statements Able to answer questions Should have a backup Have experts on hand to provide support answers Why is a good spokesperson important Want to avoid a Tony Hayward situation Dealing with the media Aren t out to get you Don t mean to get things wrong Want to get things right Want to hear your story Are just doing their jobs Making contact Who is the right person to contact Face to face vs phone call vs email Personal touch Friendly but not BFFs Symbiotic relationship give take Patience What else works Know what they want and how they want it Just the facts no opinion Clean concise submissions Keep it local Art helps Follow up is key especially early on Understand deadlines Know the reporter and the medium Be creative know the writer s style and know the readers Get attention Take national story and make it local Provide scoops exclusive Make personal invitations to events not just mass email Media interviews Preparing for an interview Public relations practitioners must help interview say something that will inform or entertain the audience Know interview s purpose to assemble facts and date for client use Be well acquainted with the interviewer s style The print interview Asking to approve a story before publication is viewed as a form of censorship News conference Allows for a quick widespread dissemination of info to many media at once Planning and conducting a news conference PR professionals must assess whether the info can be distributed via a news release or media kit first Digital news conferences Can be cost effective have better attendance and have a greater impact At the podium who is the main spokesperson The right invite which media On the same page who speaks for your group Keep group on message Media tours press parties Press parties Can be luncheon dinner or cocktail party Host rises at end of socialization period to make the pitch Parties open channels of communication Three types of media tours Trip junket Familiarization trip Executives from an org travel to key cities and talk to selected editors Key points Start with elevator pitch 30 seconds If they bite go to the full version 3 minutes or less Have a book Make it clear what s in it for them Give it a human touch Keep it simple Don t forget to pitch