Those Crucial First Moments...

Just because you’re not ready to talk to the media won’t stop or slow down news coverage of a controversial story. The story simply continues without you. And the coverage may not be at all what you want.

In a crisis, reporters don’t want and won’t wait for a "prepared media statement" or a staged news conference. They just want to know what happened and what you’re doing about it.

That’s why more and more organizations are preparing on-site spokespersons who can respond to media questions even when they don’t have all the answers. They take the lead, presenting an up-front and honest media response. They try to be as accurate as possible. They don’t make things more complex than they need to be. And, they never speculate.

They’re not afraid to tell reporters what they know, as well as what they don’t know.

Reporters will rarely wait for a a fine-tuned media statement from corporate headquarters. Their job is reporting the news as it happens. If you’re not talking to them, someone else will and it’s almost guaranteed that their message will not be your message.

When a chemical plant had a fatal explosion recently, it was more than two hours before an official with the plant was available to talk to reporters. By then, they had already interviewed the plant's neighbors, emergency officials and former employees, all on live television. They interviewed just about everyone except for a spokesperson from the plant itself.

So what can you tell reporters during the first few minutes?

For starters, acknowledge the obvious. If the building behind you is in flames, it is safe to tell the media you have a fire. It’s usually a safe bet that you’re taking whatever actions you can to control the fire. Express concern for the safety of your employees and the community.

Questions relating to the cause, damages and other details can probably wait.

As one reporter told us recently: "We don’t expect everything right away. Just give us what you can."

Remember that not being available for comment can be interpreted as no comment, that you're hiding something or you just don't care. It can send out an extremely negative message.

Project an image early that you're concerned and in control. Reassure people that your organization knows what it’s doing and is doing the right thing.