Crisis Communications

Dealing with "The Uninvited Guest:" Hostile Media

In the last decade, the face of public relations has been changed by the 24 hour news cycle created by the proliferation of cable news channels, along with burgeoning social media like blogs, discussion forums, podcasts and video websites.

The instant availablity of information--and opinion--has created both benefits and threats to the public relations efforts of any company.

There are many more venues for companies to promote a positive message to the media and the public than there were just a few years ago.

At the same time, companies are exposed to increased negative publicity through misinformed media or influential--and sometimes intensely biased--bloggers or social media commentators.

The challenge to public relations professionals

Compounding the problem is a long held opinion by many journalists: public relations people are not reliable sources of information because they have a vested interest in protecting a company's good name and positive image.

Reporters often refer to PR practitioners as "flacks:" a term created by combining the words "flatterer" and "hack." Reporters believe flacks are mainly concerned with creating positive publicity opportunities, which amounts to free advertising for their employers.

Reporters sometimes also resent public relations professionals because they believe PR people make more money than they do--which is often true.

On the other hand, PR people often suspect reporters of being "muckrakers" who are always looking for a sensational--and preferably negative--story.

The truth, as usual, is somewhere in the middle.

Generally speaking, reporters who work for the traditional media like radio, TV, newspapers and magazines, are:

human,
hard-working and often rushed by unforgiving deadlines,
often “a mile wide and an inch deep…” This means they usually know a little bit about everything but not a lot about anything,
responsible & ethical,
extremely competitive.

There will always be exceptions, of course, and fortunately, it usually doesn't take long to figure out who they are. But most journalists simply want to tell a fair and honest story. It's not their job to promote your agenda, and you should never expect them to do what amounts to a "puff piece" for your company.

Spin: In or Out?

Reporters, talk show hosts, and commentators understand that a PR professional's job is to promote a positive public image. But they dislike "spin," which is the process of avoiding or ignoring a reporter's question in favor of selected "talking points."

You--or someone in your company who has undergone media training--will be walking a semantic tightrope in crisis situations. If a reporter thinks you are "spinning" instead of giving them the facts, they'll consider you to be untrustworthy.

Some interviewers will allow a certain amount of spin, but others will dig relentlessly to get a "straight" answer.

See our page on crisis communication interview tips for more information and examples on how to "spin" answers to interview questions.

Class Crisis Communications Project

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