Dealing with the Media

in a Crisis:
The Do’s and Don'ts
Presented by:

Balan Moses

26th October 2010

An Overview

• Crises hit when least expected – always

• And when that happens, the media will be at your

doorstep asking for information on the latest

• The key to dealing with a crisis situation lies in

preparation

• When a crisis occurs, the media has to be

managed for business continuity

• The media can be a good friend or a terrible enemy

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A 10-Point Guide To
Media Crisis Management

• Have an in-depth media crisis communications plan that is ready to be rolled out

• You need a spokesman - And two back-ups today

• Understand the crisis and its implications

• What’s your key message?

• Deal with it. Do not hide

• Thou shall not lie

• Everything is on the record

• Do not be argumentative

• Say it in layman’s language. Toss jargons

• Post-Crisis Review – Lessons learnt

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Roll Out The Plan

• Prepare a media crisis management plan when everything

is going well

• Carry out a mock crisis management exercise once a year

• Make sure everyone is in the picture

• Identify your target audience – know the media

• Where is the plan? Document it

• Remember Business Continuity

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 One Spokesman

• Identify a spokesman

• He/she must have the

authority to speak to the press.
They are the experts

• The spokesman must be personable with stage

presence

• Seek the advice of your communications people

• Resist the temptation, however senior you are, to

engage journalists
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Understanding The Crisis

• Is there a crisis that would pique the interest of the

media? All in the mind?

• What is the true nature of the crisis and how will it

involve the media and public?

• A Red Herring dangled by the media, competitors

or unions?

• Know the big picture

• Only release what is relevant. Keep in-house

squabbles in-house
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 Your Key Message

• Prepare a press statement reflecting your official stand

• Time is of the essence in meeting the press – In Person

• Apologise for the inconvenience to the public or industry

but do not accept responsibility

• Don't speculate or talk about anything outside your area of

expertise

• Do not fudge

• “No comment” is out

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 Deal With It. Do Not Hide

• Time is of the essence in issuing a press statement

• You can run but you can’t hide from the media

• There is always a silver lining to every dark cloud –

identify it

• Be upfront, if there is indeed a crisis

• A delay can be costly

• Use the media in future

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 Thou Shall Not Lie

• One lie = 1,000 regrets

• There is no such thing as a white lie

• The media always finds out. It's only a matter of time

• The latter situation after a lie is always worse than the

former

• There is no coming back from a lie

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Everything is On The Record

• There is no such thing as “off the record”

• Smile and remember you will also be on television

• A mistake will incur costs beyond your imagination

• Use notes. Leave impromptu statements to the experts

• Ditto for “deep background”

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Don’t Be Argumentative

• Argue with your wife; never with the media

• Have a positive attitude towards journalists and their ilk

• Journalists will be looking for sound bites – don’t lose it

• Make friends, not enemies

• Remember - You are your company’s ambassador

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 No Jargon Please

• The press conference is not the place to exhibit

linguistic mastery in your field

• Translate jargon into layman’s language on the fly

• Provide a list of technical words that need to be

understood by the public

• Remember: You are actually speaking with a cross-

section of society

• Jargon can sometimes make you appear arrogant

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 Post Crisis Review

• What are the lessons learnt? Where did we go wrong?

• The media can be a good friend or a terrible enemy

• Cultivating the media for the future

• Preparing for the next crisis

• Lightning can strike twice

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