United Airlines is in the news for its handling of its CEO's heart attack. This report from CNBC features comments from top crisis communications experts who say the company's efforts to communicate with the public haven't gone far enough.
The vagueness of what little United has said in its formal statements has fueled speculation among investors, customers and the general public. "The assumption is you're hiding something," said one expert quoted in the report.
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A media interview does not have to be a confrontational event. You have much more control over your message than you might imagine.
Our media training programs and coaching help you to prepare, relax and speak with confidence. The more confident you are, the more convincing your message will be. The goal of media training is fairly straight forward. You want to come across comfortably and confidently with the media. Nothing worse than that deer in the headlights look. What do the Chicago Cubs and your press release have in common?
The quick answer: absolutely nothing. The Cubs head into the 2015 MLB Playoffs after a memorable season, sparking renewed interest among fans. There's a huge swath of enthusiasm for the north siders heading into the one-game playoff with the Pirates. And, with that amount of hype and attention being focused on one game, your chances of attracting media attention for your press release are next to nothing. Attendees at our media training and communications seminar this week were at a loss when we asked the question, what is earned media? Nothing but blank stares. You may be wondering the same thing and whether it's important.
EARNED VS. PAID MEDIA The answer to the second question is, Yes. It's very important. The answer to the first question is that earned media is essentially any publicity you get without paying for it. In other words, you have to "earn" it. How to make your release stand out and get readMost press releases can easily fall victim to the same fate: delete! It's just so easy for reporters, editors and producers to dismiss your press release when they are inundated with hundreds of emails throughout the day.
Calling the news assignment desk at a television station or newspaper might get you confirmation that your press release has been received, but that's about it. No guarantee it's been read or that they intend to actually cover the news in your release. So, it's even more important these days to make your press release as compelling as possible. You need to make sure you include the following five essentials with any release. Think through the possible scenariosIt's one thing to say you're going to prepare for a crisis, but quite another to take the additional steps of assessing what possible crises you might face in the future. In other words, there is no one specific crisis that may occur.
So, one of the first steps in crisis planning is an accurate assessment of what might go wrong that could trigger the need to communicate with the public, employees and/or stakeholders. Think it through and you'll likely come up with several possible scenarios. A press release is a great way to convey your announcement or news item, but it's often not enough to do the job. There are often other resources that reporters will need and want in order for them to effectively tell your story.
VISUALS Let's start with visuals, which can be anything from head shots of your CEO to shots of the factory floor to graphs depicting your latest quarterly results. Images are more powerful today than ever because most everything gets posted to media websites or Facebook. Even radio reporters who never had to worry about visuals in the past are now asked to snap photos and shoot video of the events they cover. Think ahead to what images will help make your story more compelling. What parts of your announcement can be told in pictures? Can you supply the images or allow photographers access to key places where they can get their own? If you want to increase the chances your release gets used, make the lead the lead. Press releases often go unread because the writer has buried the lead.
One of the frustrating elements of press releases is that one must often wade through sentence after sentence of preliminary information before getting to the real essence of the release. The lead gets buried under process and procedure. The problem should be evident. Making it more difficult for a reporter or editor to understand the significance of the release increases the chances that they'll simply stop reading and delete the release before ever giving it much thought. So, what would you rather have? Someone hitting the delete key after the first sentence or someone giving your release the attention it deserves? Preparing for a media interview involves more than simply saying you'll do it. In fact, you may not really know whether it's a good idea unless you get some answers. Here are a few suggested questions to consider when a reporter calls.
What do you know about the reporter? Have you dealt with him or her before? Do you know what kind of stories he or she has written? What do you know about the topic? Has the reporter explained why they want to interview you? Have they made it clear what they're looking for? Is the story about you or will your comments be part of a larger story? Anyone who's had to stage a press conference involving multiple speakers, supporters and additional audience members knows what a hassle it can be. You've got to consider the size of the room or location, where people will stand, where the media will be located and where the rest of the audience will stand or sit.
A recent event involving one of our clients brought all of this into sharper focus when participants organically strayed from the main staging area. They were still able to hear the speakers and could see what was happening at the podium, but the larger footprint made it more difficult for the speakers to address the crowd and the media at the same time. |
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