Dealing with the Press in a Crisis

Here are 10 points to keep in mind when dealing with the press in a crisis, some of which may apply to other important audiences, such as customers, employees, suppliers or distributors.

1. “No comment.” Saying “no comment” on the advice of a lawyer will be viewed by the public as an admission of guilt. A better option is to say “We still don’t have all the facts at this time. But we will schedule a briefing as soon as we have verified the information available.” And then follow up with the promised briefing.
2. Keep a record.When reporters ask questions, make a list of them, along with the reporter’s name, phone number and deadline, and tell them you’ll call back. The delay will give you time to prepare credible and accurate answers.
3. Stay calm. Answer politely no matter how blunt or abrasive the inquiry. And do NOT speculate. If you appear to be in control and professional, it is definitely to your advantage. You can establish credibility.
4. Admit mistakes. If a mistake has truly been made, admit it, and express concern appropriate to the circumstances. If an apology is merited, apologize, no matter what the lawyers tell you.  
5. Tell the whole truth. Information you withhold can come back to haunt you. Nobody will forgive or forget a liar who misrepresents the facts.  
6. Use the CEO as spokesperson. As difficult as it may be, the top executive of the company is the most credible individual to speak to the media and communicate to other key audiences during a crisis.  
7. What you say and do. Consider the public interest in every operating decision during a crisis. Your company’s reputation depends on what you say immediately and what you do afterwards.  
8. Whom to believe. It is far better for bad news to be reported by your designated and trained spokesperson than a misinformed bystander or angry employee.  
9. Respond quickly. Tell as much as you can, as fast as you can. If it looks like you’re stalling, reporters will find sources far less credible, especially if they are on deadline.  
10. Keep it short. If you are facing a TV camera or a newscaster’s microphone, keep your answers or comments brief and to the point. Don’t be afraid to say you don’t have the answer to a question. But promise to get the answer and deliver on that promise. If given a choice, go for a live interview over a taped response that can be edited.

Be sure you have selected and trained a spokesperson for such situations and prepare statements for the most probable scenarios in your organization or industry. It will help even more if the spokesperson, preferably the CEO, is articulate and has presentation skills. As one expert stated, “It’s a lot like first-aid training. You hope you don’t ever have to use it, but it can make a dramatic difference when you suddenly need to call on those skills.”

The best time to prepare for a crisis is before you face one, and Carolina Image Builders can help you do that. But if you’re already in crisis mode, you need experienced counselors close at hand. Call Chuck Werle at Carolina Image Builders, 828.299.0813, or send us an e-mail at imagebuc@charter.net.