Media Training: Be prepared before a crisis hits
There’s a crude saying in television news that “if it bleeds, it leads”. The notion is that if there’s death or destruction then, sadly, it’s considered the best viewer-grabbing fodder to lead the nightly news bulletin.
As much as the media has changed and evolved in recent years – with the spread of online websites, 24-hour news channels and the rise of social media (Twitter, Facebook) some things remain the same.
The media’s appetite for conflict and controversy is insatiable.
Experienced reporters worth their salt will sniff out a crisis from a mile away, sometimes even before a company’s Board is fully apprised of the facts. People talk. Staff whisper. Adelaide is small. And, these days, anyone armed with a mobile phone is a quasi-news gatherer able to upload their images to the world within a matter of minutes.
So why, as a property industry professional, should this concern you?
Because, suddenly, your company is exposed to potentially damaging publicity like never before.
One day there’s a very real possibility you could be caught in the glare of the cameras, with probing microphones stuck under your nose held by a bank of persistent reporters asking you to provide immediate and salient comment on any number of possible scenarios:
- SafeWork SA is investigating if any company failings contributed to the death or injury of a worker on your construction site
- Employees have walked off the job over safety fears
- A sub-contractor has gone into receivership – what does this mean for the future of your business?
- Neighbours are outraged over plans for your development, arguing it will ruin the amenity of their street
- The local council is divided over your proposed project
And so on.
As a journalist with two decades’ experience in television, radio and print – including two years as host of FIVEaa’s afternoon program – I have seen time and again highly successful business people who command board rooms and shareholder meetings go to water simply because they are ill-prepared for media interviews.
They shift on their feet. They fail to stick to message. They mumble or “overspeak”, revealing too much. They have no training in handling probing questions. And the cardinal sin – they lie.
On one memorable occasion a sitting Federal MP actually ran away in a bid to avoid the tough questions. We got the shot. It looked terrible for her and was replayed for years.
Sometimes crisis cannot be avoided. They happen, often when you least expect it.
The measure of a successful business leader is to be prepared BEFORE a crisis hits. Media training should be considered an important piece of insurance for your company and personal brand. Because once those cameras start rolling, there’s no room for error.
Belinda Heggen, Head of Media Training and Presentation at The Press Gallery.