Interacting with the Media BACWA Wet Weather Management Workshop May 28, 2008 Ben Strumwasser, CirclePoint and Tracy Keough, O’Rorke

Presentation Overview  Introduction Purpose of this training BACWA & Agency media protocol  Issues you may encounter  Be Prepared!  Do’s and don’ts  General messages to keep on hand  Questions

Introduction  Why this training? To help member agencies prepare for potential media contact To show how you can use your role in BACWA, an authority in the industry, to your advantage To give you some best practice pointers

Issues You May Encounter  Spills/releases  Emergency shutdowns  Earthquakes  Equipment theft  Events in other geographies  Rates-related news  Agency “drama”  Distorted news  Reports that do not tell YOUR story

Be Prepared!  Know your subject  Know where to get the information/details you need Facts, stats, quotes from experts, other third party sources, critical reports, web sites  Anticipate questions/responses in advance  Have a few anecdotes, success stories at the ready  Know your messages! From your agency From BACWA

Other Do’s and Don’ts Do’s  Know your agencies’ protocols  Use your messages  Do your homework  Tell the truth  Communicate clearly: think sound bite  Consider your audience  Project confidence  Be sensitive and professional  Include positive messages Don’ts  Answer questions you don’t know the answer to  Ramble  Get defensive  Use too much jargon  Overuse stats  Appear judgmental or condescending

General Messages  After stating your name and qualifications, provide assurance that all available resources are urgently assessing the problem to provide the most efficient and appropriate solution/fix  Reflect the shared technical, scientific, environmental and economic expertise among BACWA members and elevate the discussion to include the regional picture, including challenges, to protect the Bay  Provide the public with contact information to obtain future information and/or updates on when you will provide additional details  Include a call to action to enlist public support for infrastructure upgrades in your region and throughout the Bay Area

Recent Press Coverage: How Should you Respond?

Questions for Thought…  What is being done about this sewage spill?  What caused this spill?  What is your agency doing to prevent sewage spills? (or, to BACWA: What is being done to prevent sewage spills in the region?)  How frequently do spills occur at your facility?

Example Messages in Action Before: Consistent Messaging About Need for Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements After: Focus Off Blaming Agency and On Need for an Agency Plan

Questions?  What experiences with the media have you found particularly challenging? How have you handled those situations?  How might BACWA further assist in dealing with emergency events?  What are examples, in your opinion, of effective media strategies?