Media Relations: Misses & Hits

Congressman Weiner: Call your media trainer.

2011-06-01T17:05:00.004-05:00

The essence of Congressman Weiner's response to the Twitter brouhaha:

Media Relations 101: Never assault a news photographer

2010-12-01T18:46:00.002-05:00

This is particularly meaningful to me, as one of my early experiences with the Red Cross was an assignment to Louisiana after Hurricane Andrew in 1992. A local TV station was interviewing an unhappy disaster victim--in the middle of a public street--when the local Red Cross PR person walked up to the photographer and shoved the camera into the photographer's face. Here, a New Mexico TV station covers a minor news story, and the photographer is attacked by an as-yet unidentified NM state employee.

Never. Ever. Assault. A. News. Photographer.

Citizen journalism is here to stay. Get used to it.

2010-12-01T18:33:00.002-05:00

Citizen journalist attends event open to the public. Citizen journalist brings video camera, which appears to be one of many at this event. Citizen journalist attempts to ask questions of the visiting speaker. College "public affairs" staffer intervenes, has citizen journalist ejected--temporarily. Public affairs staffer turns a non-story--or at most a story about the citizen journalist and his intended interview subject--into a story about the public affairs staffer's behavior. Public affairs staffer has succeeded in making her employer--a university ostensibly dedicated to free speech, inquiry, and learning--look quite bad. Attention, all media relations people: new media and citizen journalism are here to stay--get used to it.

"United Breaks Guitars" Prompts Fast, Customer-Friendly Response From Taylor

2009-07-11T12:18:00.005-05:00

Taylor Guitars has done in 4 days what United Airlines could not accomplish in 15 months.

Dave Carroll is a Canadian musician. In March 2008, while on a trip to Nebraska for a series of concert dates, United Airlines baggage handlers severely damaged his Taylor guitar. For 9 months, he attempted to get United to acknowledge their negligence and repair Carroll's guitar. In frustration, Carroll sent a final e-mail to United and promised that he

would be writing three songs about United Airlines and my experience in the whole matter. I would then make videos for these songs and offer them for free download online, inviting viewers to vote on their favourite United song. My goal: to get one million hits in one year.

On July 6, Carroll posted the first video on YouTube. As of this post, the video has been viewed an astonishing 2 million times and Carroll has appeared on several national television programs. United reacted by making Carroll an offer he could refuse.

The internet is chock full of stories about United's many failures--both in substance and in their communications. But what truly impressed me was the response from Taylor Guitars, who saw in the Carroll case a great opportunity to educate their customers, demonstrate good will, and enhance their reputation (as another major corporation was damaging their own). Within 4 days of Carroll's video being posted on YouTube, Taylor Guitars' Bob Taylor explained how to protect you guitar--while promoting the durability of their guitar cases:

Producing this video likely cost Taylor very little, but the ROI--in good will and future business--should be high.

THIS is how you respond to a YouTube crisis...

2009-04-16T20:26:00.003-05:00

Following the YouTube hoax perpetrated by two Domino's Pizza employees, Domino's USA President Patrick Doyle released this YouTube video response. It was quick, to the point, covered the key messages (what happened, what they're doing for an immediate response, and what they're doing in the longer term), and was sincere. My only minor quibble is that Mr. Doyle did not spend a few extra bucks on a Teleprompter--he was clearly looking at a script adjacent to the camera lens, and it robbed him of eye contact with his customers. Overall, though, well done.

Media Relations and Reporting 101: find the right spokesperson

2009-01-29T23:44:00.004-05:00

FOX News reports that "transportation officials in Texas are scrambling to prevent hackers from changing messages on digital road signs after one sign in Austin was altered...."

The article continues with two subsequent paragraphs that contain quotes from a Texas DOT spokesman confirming the hacking. But by the fourth paragraph, this very same state agency spokesman says that the sign in question is owned and operated by the city of Austin.

Not until paragraph seven of the article do we hear from someone representing the city of Austin.

Why was the state DOT guy in this story?

Fire Everyone in FEMA Press Office

2007-10-27T12:07:00.000-05:00

Total, complete PR amateurs. Embarrassing, regardless of which side of the political aisle you're on.

Just what WAS the purpose of the news conference? (I still don't know.) What vital info did FEMA have that had to be disseminated on 15-minutes notice?

Answers: You don't call a news conference on 15-minutes notice, unless you have some real news to announce. You don't plant press staff in the audience to ask questions. You don't call a news conference and then allow phone-connected reporters only to listen in without asking questions. A news release (at most) would have sufficed.

Forget the "reprimands," "new procedures," and the like. Effective and ethical media relations is achieved through facts and transparency, not spin and manipulation.

This stunt is a firing offense, for every FEMA staffer who participated in this charade.

UPDATE: A big "thank you!" to Ed Morrissey at Captain's Quarters for the link.

LA Lakers, CA Fires: Good Decision, Mixed Message

2007-10-24T17:54:00.000-05:00

The NBA's Los Angeles Lakers today decided to cancel a pre-season game scheduled to be played in San Diego this week. A smart, responsible decision by the team that reflects the seriousness of the situation unfolding in Southern California. Unfortunately, the team's senior vice president for business operations made a statement that might suggest some disagreement within the team's management about what to do--and it unnecessarily casts doubt upon the team's motives behind the decision:

After many internal discussions about many different factors, we've concluded that this is simply the right thing to do. The people of San Diego have been very supportive of us over the
years and in turn we want to be supportive of them in this time of crisis. [emphasis mine]

Question: If cancelling the game was so "simple," then why were "many internal discussions about many different factors" required? A better response: "No discussion was required. It is the right thing to do. Period."

Fatal-fire Landlord: Mighty Boxer Has Struck Out

2007-03-29T20:36:00.000-05:00

After declining to comment Wednesday and promising to issue a statement on Thursday (that would be today), the owner of the Houston office building where three were killed in a fire has taken strike two and strike three. As of this post, the landlord has not issued the promised statement. A 6:03pm CDT update from the AP in the Houston Chronicle says:

John Rentz, a vice president for Boxer Property Management...has not returned messages inquiring about the building and its fire-prevention capabilities.

Boxer has blown it. Big time.

Fatal-fire Landlord: We'll say something...tomorrow

2007-03-28T21:20:00.000-05:00

The Houston Chronicle reports on a fire in a six-story Houston office building that killed three and injured at least six. The article reports that "the fire alarms hadn't sounded and the sprinklers hadn't gone off," according to two office workers from the building. At press time, the fire's cause was undetermined.

The landlord's response? "Boxer Property Management Corp., which manages the building, declined to comment on Wednesday and said a statement would be issued Thursday."

Here's a company that was caught unprepared, probably a result of the "it can't happen to me" mindset. The fact is that "it" can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. By now, the company should have issued a preliminary statement expressing condolences and concern for the dead, injured, and their families--with a promise to assist with the investigation into the fire.

To use a baseball analogy, this landlord has whiffed on the first pitch. The statement they've promised to make on Thursday is the second pitch. Will it be a strike? Or a hit?

9-11 -- Never Forget

2006-09-11T19:26:00.000-05:00

http://www.pentagonattack911.com/wtc.htm

"Our first priority is the customers and associates"

2006-07-21T18:38:00.000-05:00

Eight people were stabbed today at a Schnucks supermarket in Tennessee. The first published sound bites from St. Louis headquarters:

"Our first priority is the customers and associates," said Schnucks Markets Inc. spokeswoman Lori Willis said. She said officials from the St. Louis-based company were on their way to the scene.

Emphasis on people first, reinforced by the instant decision to send officials from HQ to the scene.

Excellent job.

AP misquote hurts Denny's effective response to shooting

2006-03-15T20:10:00.000-05:00

A murder-suicide at a California Denny's restaurant has been met with a quick response from the company, assuring that their thoughts and sentiments received early Associated Press coverage. Here's the statement in full:

"We are shocked and saddened by this tragic incident that occurred today in Pismo Beach, California. This appears to be a random act of violence. We are cooperating with the police in every way possible. Questions regarding facts of the case and the unfolding investigation must be referred to the Pismo Beach Police Department."
"Our primary concern at the moment is the welfare of the victims, their families and our employees. Our company is providing professional counseling to all those affected. We will continue to support them in every way we can."

Excellent response. Fast, concise, focused on the welfare of the people involved in the incident--all conveyed in an appropriate tone.

Unfortunately, the AP dispatch transformed the "tragic incident" quote into a "tragic accident"--different words, different meanings, different tone.

This is one of those times when the company got it right, and the media got it wrong in a way that could be harmful to Denny's reputation and bottom line.

Citing Privacy, Anonymous Source Confirms ID of Anonymous Donor

2006-02-03T15:01:00.000-05:00

This is amusing, yet instructive.

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has donated $100 million to his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University. How do we know that? Well, according to the Associated Press, "a person familiar with his philanthropy confirmed the latest $100 million gift on condition of anonymity, citing Bloomberg's desire for privacy."

I don't know if the anonymous source is or is not affiliated with the university, but what is apparent is that the anonymous source--who confirmed Bloomberg's identity as the anonymous donor--is more concerned about his own privacy than Bloomberg's. If the source is affiliated with the school, this is a significant media relations error.

NC Blast: HQ AWOL, Local Spokesman Gets it Right

2006-01-31T20:43:00.000-05:00

An explosion this morning at a North Carolina chemical plant demonstrates the good and bad of how companies should communicate during and after a crisis. On the bad side, AP has been unable to reach anyone at Synthron, Inc.'s parent company for comment, and the company website has not commented on, or otherwise acknowledged, the disaster.

But plant vice president Randy Cox, despite being injured, got it right:

Cox said he had no idea what caused the explosion.
"There will be a thorough investigation by the authorities," he said. "Our top priority is for the workers at the plant and we want to do everything we can for them."

In his comments, Cox didn't venture beyond the facts and into speculation, and he appropriately communicated the company's priorities during the early stages of the crisis.

Well done.

The importance of a speedy response to the media

2006-01-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

In today's media environment of 24-hour news cycles and nearly instantaneous transmission of news around the world, a delay of even a few hours can mean the difference between being seen by the public as either evasive or responsive, callous or caring.

A fire early Sunday morning at a suburban Atlanta Holiday Inn killed one person and injured over two dozen more. As was the case with a January 2004 hotel fire in South Carolina that killed six, hotel officials were unresponsive to the media in the hours immediately following the fire. "Phone calls to...Holiday Inn officials were not immediately returned Sunday," said the initial AP report found on Google News. "Holiday Inn officials could not be reached for comment Sunday night," reported the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

To their credit, the hotel's owners issued a news release later in the day, properly expressing concern for the dead and injured while also addressing the immediate concerns of other evacuated guests; the company also confined its comments to the known facts, without speculation. Intercontinental Hotels Group, Holiday Inn's parent corporation, has issued no statements of any kind to the media.

Unfortunately, the hotel owner's news release came out after the initial AP and AJC reports reached scores of media outlets nationwide, and as of this morning the AJC story update--and a number of AP updates--still do not reflect the previous day's news release: "Holiday Inn officials could not be reached for comment." While it is unknown what channels the company used for distributing the news release other than PR Newswire, it is apparent that company's message did not reach the reporters covering the story.

Hurricane Katrina: Blog for Relief Day

2005-08-31T15:07:00.000-05:00

I'm joining forces with 292 [UPDATE: it's now 312][2nd UPDATE: 438!] blogs from 5 [UPDATE: 8!] countries (as of this post) to promote "Hurricane Katrina: Blog for Relief Day" on Thursday, September 1. It is being coordinated by N.Z. Bear at The Truth Laid Bear blog. Each participating blogger is linking to his or her charity of choice. Please participate, and add your blog to the growing TTLB roster.

This is a non-partisan, non-political effort involving bloggers of all stripes, persuasions, and professions.

I urge MR:M&H readers to support the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. I worked for the Red Cross for six years, participating in relief efforts for Hurricanes Andrew ('92), Felix ('95), and Opal ('95), as well as flooding in Arizona ('93) and Pennsylvania ('96). I've seen up-close the work that the Red Cross does for victims of disaster. Better than 90-95 percent of all Red Cross disaster relief workers are VOLUNTEERS.

Please help by calling 1-800-HELP-NOW or making an online donation.

Instapundit blog is also compiling info on relief efforts.

Technorati tags:
hurricane+katrina
flood aid

1-800-HELP-NOW

2005-08-30T12:04:00.000-05:00

American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Please give what you can.

Subscribe with Bloglines

2005-07-21T20:52:00.000-05:00

I'm fiddling with some of the technical stuff in the blog. At the bottom of the right-hand column is a "subscribe with Bloglines" button. If you sign up for Bloglines, a web-based service that organizes subscriptions to various blogs and websites, you can add Media Relations: Misses & Hits to your list of "feeds."

Company Keeps Cool as Gas Plant Explodes

2005-06-24T21:58:00.000-05:00

An industrial gas plant explosion in St. Louis today has spurred a solid response from company officials. The company's reaction has been fast and candid--emphasizing the safety of its employees after the disaster--but without venturing into speculation. The company has placed the news as the lead item on its website, and they are sending an emergency response team from their Connecticut headquarters to the scene in St. Louis. Based on the first few hours since the disaster, it appears that Praxair is a company that understands that the best way to confront bad news is head-on.

Second Chance Takes No Chances

2005-06-22T21:44:00.000-05:00

Second Chance Body Armor today announced [LINK FIXED] that it is "recommending the immediate replacement of any of its bullet-resistant vests containing Zylon® fiber" following their receipt of new research from scientists hired by the company.

"While Second Chance has not received any reports of field failures of the
products in question, we felt it was our obligation to report these new research
findings immediately," said Matt Davis, vice president of sales and marketing.
"The safety and well-being of all the officers who wear our body armor is of
primary importance to Second Chance and we strongly encourage all officers to
replace ballistic vests that contain Zylon as quickly as possible."

Proactive. Timely. Candid. Good job.

How NOT to do media training

2005-06-01T20:09:00.000-05:00

What was he thinking? This post is for my colleagues in the media training world, and is a prime example of the wrong way for PR professionals to do media training. The San Francisco Chronicle has the story of the San Francisco 49ers and their PR director's efforts to help the football players work with the media. The unhappy result was that the PR director became the news.

Bed Bugs and Plain English

2005-05-12T20:03:00.000-05:00

An amusing article about bed bugs in hotels includes an unintentionally funny quote that illustrates the importance of using plain English in interviews. From Reuters via MSNBC:

Unlike mosquitoes, which can transmit malaria, yellow fever and West Nile virus, bed bugs have not been linked to anything more serious than the itchy, red welts that often appear on a victim’s skin. “There are no studies that have been done that show they vector anything,” said Bill Brogdon, an entomologist with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Hepatitis B has been specifically looked for and the studies have been negative so far.” [emphasis mine]

If you have any idea what this earnest scientist means by his use of "vector," please share it in a comment.

"Actual Expert Too Boring for TV"

2005-05-09T20:54:00.000-05:00

The Onion is a particularly funny fake-news site, chock full of amusing and phony stories about life and society. Today they posted a really good piece, titled "Actual Expert Too Boring For TV," that should tickle the funny bone of media relations folks and media trainers.

UPDATE #3: A "violence summit" is the answer?

2005-04-20T19:13:00.000-05:00

Blogger, syndicated columnist, and sometimes FOX News guest/guest-host Michelle Malkin is on the story in this blog post and in her syndicated column today. She shares my concern about the relatively mild actions taken against the assistant principal who discouraged the victim's father from calling 911, and she correctly ridicules the school district's latest move, which is to convene a "violence summit." Crime prevention policy isn't within the purview of this blog. But it seems to this media relations veteran that a gab-fest scheduled for some time in the future is a diversion from the more immediate issue: that school officials made "spin" a higher priority than the safety of a human being, and that at least one school official is not being held to account. The Columbus City School District still has some work to do.

UPDATE #2: It's DISTRICT Policy?

2005-04-17T20:43:00.000-05:00

From Saturday's Cleveland Plain Dealer comes news that the decision of a Columbus, Ohio, high school's principal and assistant principals not to call 911 may have been encouraged at the school district level. "School district policy warns that calling police might draw media attention," the AP reports in a follow-up story on the sexual assault I've blogged about previously. Without reading the actual policy, I hesitate to render a harsh judgment at this point. But as I noted below, the safety of a human being was trumped by misguided concerns about reputation. It now seems that the concerns were so strong that they may have dictated school district media policy.

When I witness a wreck on the interstate, my calling 911 might draw media attention. I'll make the call every time.

UPDATE: "An assistant principal cautioned...against calling 911...."

2005-04-13T15:31:00.000-05:00

I feel the need to update my previous post, which was hastily composed before I dashed out of the house this morning. I put up the link and my initial reaction, but I must emphasize how wrong the school's actions were for so many reasons. First and foremost was the utter disregard for the safety of the victim. Second--and more relevant to this blog's purpose--is the completely warped belief that NOT calling 911 would somehow ward off a media swarm.

Bad things can, and do, happen in just about every conceivable setting, from schools to businesses to government offices, and in a range of public and private places. That something bad happened in this school certainly will affect people's perceptions of the school and the quality of its leaders--that is unavoidable. That this school's leaders reacted as they did speaks volumes more about the character, integrity, and trustworthiness of the adults to whom that community entrusted the care and education of its youth--and that will be far more damaging to the school's relations with the media and community than the incident itself.

"An assistant principal cautioned the girl's father against calling 911 to avoid media attention"

2005-04-13T07:01:00.000-05:00

A sexual assault on a disabled student has school officials more concerned for their reputations than for the safety of a human being. Disgraceful.

"I can't believe how uncaring the airline is."

2005-03-21T19:16:00.000-05:00

Sunday's New York Post reports that "a Brooklyn man who went berserk aboard a JFK-bound airliner died Friday night after being handcuffed and held down by seven athletes who had come to the aid of the flight crew." I'm sure that more details will come out in the coming days and weeks. But it initially appears, in a post-9/11 world, that the actions of the crew and passengers were appropriate or--at the very least--understandable, particularly in light of the fact that this airline had two of its aircraft hijacked on September 11.

To the airline's further credit, the spokesman provided the reporter with a reasonably thorough account of what happened on the aircraft. Unfortunately, the family of the deceased man says that the airline has not communicated at all with them--they have not tried to call the family, and the family's calls to the airline were not returned. The result is a devastating sound bite from the family that negates all previous quotes from the airline spokesman: "I can't believe how uncaring the airline is. Nobody will talk us," said the deceased man's sister. Communicating directly with reporters is frequently not enough.

Building the Blog

2005-03-13T12:09:00.000-05:00

I've taken my first crack at editing the template by replacing two of the default links (right) with two of my own. The first is a link to the Public Relations Society of America, one of the professional groups to which I belong. The second link is to NewsLink, an excellent online directory of media outlets nationwide and around the world. While it is not as detailed as some media directories (such as Bacon's) which drill down to the level of individual reporters and their contact info, NewsLink is an excellent way to find media outlets by type or location.

Introduction

2005-03-12T20:36:00.000-05:00

The title and description above give you a sense of the "what" and the "why." This introductory post will give you a little info about the "who." I'm a 19-year veteran of PR, media relations, and crisis communications. I have worked for a variety of organizations, from nonprofits to government agencies to trade associations in a number of disciplines: environmental, human services, disaster relief, criminal justice, labor/workforce development, and health care. My experiences have included floods, hurricanes, workforce/labor disputes, prison escapes, and scheduled executions. I've done hundreds of interviews on TV and radio and in print, including CNN and CBS This Morning. Because I am currently employed full-time, I'm not yet in a position to identify myself to you here--this is my first blog, so your patience is appreciated as I work through this.

To expand a little bit on the "what": Through this blog, I will link to news stories that demonstrate effective and less-than-effective responses to media inquiries, again with the hope that readers will form a deeper appreciation for the need to engage with the media--particularly at times when the strongest impulse is to flee.

I welcome your comments and tips.