The other way the public gets involved is via social media, including the comment sections on news sites. After a major incident, you’re likely to see almost no limit to the ignorant commentary exchanged on such channels.
Who else? Government, in all its forms. There’s functional government, including first response and regulatory agencies, and elected government, all too often in the form of grandstanding politicians bent upon advancing high-profile legislation. Depending on the situation, government may be involved on the local, regional, state, or even federal levels.
There are other potential interest groups, too. These include members of your own industry, your financial backers, even your vendors. When you have a major incident, everyone you touch in any way has an interest in the story.
WHO SHOULD DO THE TALKING?
In a major event, a senior member of your staff should serve as the spokesperson for the organization. Depending on your resources, that may be the owner, the general manager, or a senior marketing professional. It’s important that your spokesperson knows very precisely what to say and what not to say.
Your spokesperson also needs to understand what he or she is likely to be asked. Remember, journalists continually hone their skills in extracting information from people. It’s essential that you understand how they do it. Most misquotes really aren’t misquotes—they’re mistakes made by the spokesperson.
You might personally prefer to remain silent, but it’s usually not a good idea to avoid interviews. If you don’t talk with reporters, they’ll find someone else who will, and the odds are that you won’t be happy with whomever they select.
There’s a solution: media training. Comprehensive media training lasts a minimum of a day, so it’s not something you can easily pick up after something bad happens. This means that you should obtain it long before anything happens, and refresh it every three or four years.
Since accidents don’t respect vacation plans, you should have at least two trained spokespeople in your organization, and preferably three or more. Then, establish vacation and travel schedules such that one of these designated spokespersons is always nearby.
Make sure someone is paying close attention to social media channels
after a serious event. Such staff need to understand what to say and how to say it. It’s different than talking with reporters. Also, this monitor must know when to involve the main spokesperson.
