|
|
|
What To Do If It All Goes Wrong
Contrary to the saying, bad publicity is rarely better than
no publicity at all. Of course it's better to prevent bad
publicity than trying to cure it once it has happened.
However, one day you might be faced with having to deal with
some. So what's the best way to tackle it?
Journalists have a duty to their editor to get good stories
and write them in a way which will interest their readers.
The desire for a good story sometimes means information is
selected to give a particular slant. Occasionally, it leads
to sensationalism and misrepresentation.
When something goes wrong (e.g. a disgruntled client or an
accident) it can become a news story. Make sure your staff
knows who to refer journalist's enquiries to and ensure that
only employees authorised to do so respond to those
enquiries.
When the press contacts you, don't be rushed into talking
before you know all the facts. Ask what the reporter's
deadline is and then spend some time preparing a written
statement. Make sure you get back to the reporter, as it
doesn't look good if you refuse to comment.
If you are asked for a TV or radio interview make sure you
are prepared for any questions you'll be asked and try to
answer truthfully. In many ways it's better to hold your
hands up and say "Yes, we messed up, we're sorry, we are
going to review how we do things to make sure it won't
happen again".
Take Stock of the Damage
What's been said or printed? How serious are any
allegations? What will they mean for your reputation? Are
the allegations untrue? Are you sure?
Who will have heard it or seen it? Where has the damaging
item appeared? In the national press? On your local radio
station? In a small independent publication?
You need to consider very carefully what to do next.
Sometimes, even if a story is misleading it may be better to
leave well alone, especially if it hasn't had a very wide
audience. This may be annoying for you, but it may cause
fewer problems in the long run.
A small piece in a local paper which says something negative
about you may be read by lots of readers - but they will
almost certainly forget the details very quickly.
…. A printed apology may lead more
people to look up the original story.
…. An angry letter from you which gets printed on the
letters page will undoubtedly draw a lot of attention from
people who overlooked the article in the first place.
…. A press release that you distribute
to all the region's media organisations contradicting the
story will make sure that most people in your area know
something about the matter.
Unfortunately they are more likely to remember the nasty
things that have been said rather than your claim that they
are not true.
NEXT >>>
|
