By Bill Patterson
I still look at the letter at least once a week.
It is from a high-level communications executive at Exxon, dated
May 15, 1989. That would be just weeks after the Exxon Valdez disaster,
arguably the worst PR blunder in modern history. Immediately after
the disaster, I sent them a letter suggesting media response practice,
since media coverage in Alaska would be intense. The executive’s
response to my letter: They did not need any help.
I keep that letter on the wall above my desk as
a reminder that even those in the worst trouble will often say they
don't need communications assistance or media training. In the spirit
of this letter, here are the five most commonly given reasons why
top executives have refused to accept my suggestion that they undergo
professional media training. The list is from a 40-year career in
communications, including the past 19 in full-time media training:
1. "Our legal staff has strongly advised
me to say 'no comment' to the media."
I list this first because it is the single biggest mistake executives
make in working with the media—advice often spurred on by the
counsel of company lawyers. There is no time when that phrase is
acceptable. You don't have to answer media questions—you just
have to be available and respond in a caring fashion.
2. "My media relations department handles
all reporter inquiries."
Executives often don't like to be around when the news hits the
fan. This, however, is just the time they need to quickly respond
and be open and honest. My favorite example of a leader doing the
right thing is William Clay Ford, Jr.’s response following the explosion
at a Ford manufacturing plant in River Rouge, Michigan, in 1999.
Ford, chairman of the Ford Motor Co., held a news conference at
the site shortly after the explosion, and this was his first unforgettable
sentence: "This is the worst day of my life."
3. "I am a Harvard MBA who makes $5 million
a year so no one needs to teach me how to answer questions."
Well, this MBA is correct in one regard: Experienced media coaches
never teach anyone how to answer questions. The session is about
how to respond to reporters' areas of interest while making your
point. The training emphasizes how to stay on message, not how to
answer questions.
4. "The media are all a bunch of liberals
and hate big business."
This one has been around since I was a reporter and broadcast news
executive in the 1960s. The media are so huge and pervasive now
that a comment like this is just plain silly.
5. "No matter what I say, reporters will
twist my message."
Well, maybe in a tabloid. Perhaps this executive is thinking of
the editorial page and not the news pages, or he really doesn't
understand the difference. In any event, this is a good reason why
the executive needs coaching and advice from a professional media
trainer. Working with the media will always be a risk. I think history
shows—and I can prove it—that doing news interviews is
a risk worth taking when you know exactly what you are doing and
why you are doing it.
© 2003 PR Tactics. Reprinted with permission
from the Public Relations Society of America (www.prsa.org)
You can learn more about dealing effectively
with the media by taking the following AMA seminars:
Author Bio: Bill Patterson is founder
and president of Reputation Management Associates in Columbus, Ohio.
He can be reached at: www.media-relations.com.
|
