RISKVUE ARCHIVE | RISK BITES

Say What?

No amount of planning will prevent all emergencies from occurring, nor will it stop the media from showing up at your door when a crisis strikes. In addition to having an effective crisis communication plan in force, here are a few rules to keep in mind if you are ever asked to make a public or official comment regarding your organization’s crisis or emergency.

• Show concern for the people and groups affected by your crisis. This lets your employees, customers and community at large know that you care for their well being and are taking positive action.
  
  
• Make statements of fact that inform. Short, declarative statements that are based on factual information help your audiences make intelligent decisions regarding your organization.
  
  
• When questioned, don’t speculate or repeat hearsay information. Only provide information verified as correct and accurate. The best approach is to let the media know that you won’t answer hypothetical questions. Doing so shows a measure of control and highlights the speculative nature of the question.
  
  
• Stay calm and courteous. Obvious, but difficult to do. Take a pause before answering any questions. The perception of being in control greatly helps maintain good will.
  
  
• Do not discuss cause or fault. Normally, fault can only be established after all the facts have been gathered and evaluated. Fault is best left to lawyers, judges and juries to decide.
  
  
• Avoid saying “no comment” or repeating negative words in questions. There are ways to answer questions that contain negative words or phrases without repeating them: “We can’t talk about that aspect while it is under investigation. What we can talk about is....” Don’t risk having the negative words in your answer quoted in the press. Even “no comment” may be taken as an indication that you are trying to hide negative information.
  
  
• Use layman’s terms when describing events. Most members of the general public don’t understand complex terms and industry-specific acronyms. If you avoid using them, you avoid confusing your audience.
  
  
• Use your web site to communicate information and receive inquiries from those concerned. At best, the media will only print one or two of your quotes. Your web site can contain full and complete information that can be accessed directly by reporters and other interested audiences.
  
  
• Communicate with your employees. As stakeholders in the organization, your employees should be kept well informed. Use voice mail, newsletters, e-mail and video to spread your message.
  
  
• Monitor news coverage. Check the accuracy of what’s being reported. Don’t be afraid to refine or correct a reporter’s story. If the information is wrong or incorrect, it should be corrected as soon as possible.
  
  
• Ask reporters questions about what they have heard. Reporters -particularly those with whom you have relationships-are often good sources of information. Some reporters may share with you information they have gathered from other sources, although they may not in a large press briefing. Such information can be useful in helping you continue your own investigation.
  
  
• Set up a central communications facility. One location with communications equipment is ideal. Equipment should include dedicated phone lines, fax lines, cell phones, radio and TV receivers to monitor news, faxes, PCs, copiers and printers.
  
  
• Keep interviews away from emergency areas. Don’t let reporters roam your facilities unescorted or without permission. Designate specific sites as press rooms and interview areas. Don’t compromise investigations with news gathering. You don’t owe it to the media to travel wherever they want. You can confine them to a designated area on private property. Teach all employees the rules for handling the press.
  
  
• Try to keep news coverage to a one-day story. The less time a crisis is in the public eye, the better. Be prepared and try to answer as many questions as you can within a fairly rapid time frame. If there is a remedial action to take, the faster you take the action, the sooner the controversy begins to die. For example, if a crisis requires a product recall, the media will be more inclined to cover the announcement of the recall, rather than the actual recall.
  
  
• Use one primary spokesperson. This helps keep information flow direct and focused, and avoids contradictory messages. 

riskVue | The webzine for risk management professionals
September 1999