The temptation is to say as little as possible when disaster strikes, because you are rarely in possession of the full facts. But if you allow an information vacuum, media speculation may make the situation far more critical, particularly when it appears to be a big story. It is vital to create the agenda, not follow it—’no comment’ suggests you are not in control and things must be even worse than they appear. Even a smaller story can reverborate or go viral if your response is seen to be wanting, or nobody is prepared to defend the company’s position.
Be prepared; don’t wait for it to happen!
Call us now to talk through your options
020 8746 1634
What you will learn on our crisis media training courses:
- Media behaviour in a crisis
- Preventing an ‘information vacuum’
- Requirements of broadcast vs. print media
- How much you need to say
- Role of social media in a crisis
- Monitoring and responding to what’s being said
- Devising an appropriate media statement
- Dealing with aggressive and tough questioning.
We run two types of crisis media course.
‘Major Incident’ Crisis Media Handling
For example where your organisation needs to be prepared in case of an incident such as a food poisoning outbreak, critical data loss, chemical spillage, etc. This will include on-the-spot ‘doorstep’ TV interviews.
‘Reputational Issue’ Crisis Media Handling
Where your issues are unlikely to have the TV crews camping out on your doorstep, but which nonetheless have the potential to damage the business and its standing. This session focuses more on getting your message across under pressure, and techniques for handling awkward reporters who are looking for a bad news story.
Course costs vary according to course duration and location. Please email us at info@mediatrainingassociates.co.uk or call us on 020 8746 1634 to discuss your specific requirements.
