1. COMMUNICATING IN A CRISIS: WORKING WITH THE MEDIA
DR. TERENCE (TERRY) FLYNN, APR, FCPRS
McMaster University
SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

2. THE 7 DEADLY SINS OF CRISIS COMMUNICATION
Unpreparedness: “It Can’t Happen” Syndrome
Absence: Not Being on Site Immediately
Ignorance: Not knowing the Audience
Silence: Not Communicating
Distance: Boardroom Bunker Mentality
Fabrication: Anything But the Truth
Naiveté: Thinking only short-term
From the research on crisis communications and reputation management and from our experiences, these are the most common mistakes of organizations before, during and after crisis.
Facilitator Notes: Elaborate and give examples of each.

3. KEY SUCCESS FACTORS
The company’s mindset for anticipating and preparing for crises
The ability to respond immediately to information requests
The use of two-way communication with key stakeholders
The strength of pre-crisis relationships with stakeholder groups (shadow stakeholders)
Recent crisis communications research from the University of Maryland has indicated that these four factors point to successful responses.
Culture of the organization/importance of communication.
Elimination of barriers to responding.
Ensuring a dialogue and not just a one-way flow of information.
Build your relationships now.

4. PREPARE FOR THE UNANSWERABLE
What went wrong?
How did it happen?
How could it happen?
Who did it happen to?
When did you know?
Why didn’t you tell us sooner?
Why should we believe you?
Do you feel guilty?
What other questions could you anticipate?
At the early stages of a crisis, what answers are you likely to know?
What answers will you not likely know at the early stages of a crisis?

5. TAKE CONTROL!
“In the absence of information, misinformation becomes news.” “Misperceptions created by non-sources during the initial stages of a crisis remain with important publics and are difficult, if not impossible to change.”

6. WHO'S THE SPOKEPERSON? A decision-maker skilled in communications who:
Understands the value of communications
Knows and understands the organization
Can effectively articulate difficult and sensitive issues
Can express empathy and concern

7. "IT'S NOT WHAT YOU SAY-- IT'S HOW YOU SAY IT!"
The 3 “I” Approach
Image
It’s not who you are.
It’s who people perceive you to be!
Impression
You’re never given a second chance to create a first impression
Integrity
Actions speak louder than words!
When it comes to presenting a credible response to a crisis, the public and the media look at these criteria.

8. WITH A CRISIS COMES THE MEDIA
Provide a connection to your stakeholders
Can deliver critical information to affected stakeholders – communities, families
Will demand access and instant information
Won’t wait for you to fill the information void – instant experts to provide comment
The media plays an important role for us – they help us connect with our stakeholders, especially in times of crisis.
But with that comes a responsibility on our part to assist them in getting information out.

9. JOURNALISTIC CONSTRAINTS
Limited space or air time
Limited sources of information
Competing news priorities
Lack of scientific or technical education
Competitive editorial environment
Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines
This means that your communication with the media needs to be clear, concise and coherent.

10. YOUR ROLE? Be honest Help them do their job Avoid errors
If you decide not to cooperate with the media; who loses?
1. Be Honest and Up-front
Never lie, evade or mislead
Don’t complexify… simplify!
If you don’t know, say so.
Don’t play favorites
Respect the public’s right to know
Don’t try to ‘bully’ the media
Help them do their job
Be aware of their deadlines and lead times;
Be available;
Give background information;
Provide the right spokesperson
Avoid Errors
Provide printed backgrounders
Put contact names, addresses, spellings, numbers, dates, etc. on paper
Listen carefully to the questions
Attempt to educate/inform the reporter
Correct misinformation immediately
DON’T USE JARGON

11. GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE MEDIA RELATIONS
A + P² = C³
Understand the issue
Anticipate the key questions
Be prepared
Develop and use your key messages
Use bridging to focus on key messages
Now that you have a better insight into the “game” – here are our five guidelines.

12. UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE
Find out what the crisis is, when and where it happened. You won’t know why or how – don’t try to answer until you do / don’t speculate.
Say what you know – actions that you are taking.
Know the lay of the land – what are the key risk management issues.
What’s your primary objective?
Know what’s in the news – the media will sometimes know more than you
What else is happening in the area?
Are there any other health/environmental risk issues in the media?
How’s the story playing at home?

13. BE PREPARED! Know what you want to say Know what you don’t want to say
Expect the best - anticipate the worst question
Learn your key messages
Learn about your interviewer
Consider the logistics of the interview

14. GET READY! Prepare for the following:
What questions would you like them to ask?
What questions do you not want them to ask?
What questions haven’t you thought about?
Why is Point 1 important?
You can sometimes feed them questions.
There are times when you might not be able to answer specific questions – when would that be?
How do you achieve Point 3?

15. DEVELOPING YOUR MESSAGES
Use “sound bites” (7 to 12 words)
Make positive statements, without restating the negative
Address underlying concern

16. ADDING CREDIBILITY TO YOUR KEY MESSAGES
Involves telling a story or relating a personal reflection
Includes a third-party reference

17. CRISIS/MEDIA TIPS TO REMEBER!
Planning is critical. It will make or break you.
Crises escalate because of confused, mismanaged or missed communications.
Public perceptions are created by what is communicated.
Be prepared for accelerating information.
Cross reporting occurs – creating a frenzied atmosphere.
You’ll get many questions that don’t yet have answers.
An integrated risk management approach is critical.
No accident is unforgivable -- only the response is.

18. Thank You For More Information: Dr. Terence (Terry) Flynn, APR, FCPRS
@terryflynn
LinkedIn: Dr. Terence Flynn