Page 142 - Crisis Communication Practical PR Strategies

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Negative Press and How to Deal with It 123
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Practise your interview. Make certain that you convey a calm tone
and professional demeanour regardless of the interrogatory skills
of the reporter.
Give the reporter a context before he or she launches into an inter-
view. Often, the journalist will begin the discussion based on the
facts, as he or she perceives them. It is also the journalist’s obliga-
tion to hear what you have to say. Begin the interview with: ‘Before
you ask your questions, I’d like to give you some background
about our company, its history and its approach.’ You could
provide information that includes your record of safety or cus-
tomer service. Then emphasize key points that may give the jour-
nalist more context for the story.
Always be truthful in your responses. It is better to refrain from
comment than to say something that is not true. And don’t be afraid
to say, ‘I don’t know the answer to that question, but I’ll find out.’
Feel free to be assertive. If there is a key point that you want to
convey – push for that. ‘Please quote me as saying that we will
investigate this matter to its fullest extent’ or, ‘It is important to me
that you report that our company wants to express our deepest
sympathy to the family of our employee who lost his life’, are cer-
tainly appropriate requests.
Never say ‘No comment’, which sounds abrupt and defensive. If
you are unable to comment, you could say, ‘Due to the nature of
this litigation, if would be inappropriate for us to comment at this
time’ or, ‘I can’t provide you with a response because of propri-
etary issues, but I can tell you that our company is committed to
the safety of every employee.’
Never go ‘off the record’. Recognize that nothing is truly off the
record and that anything that you provide to a reporter can be
used by him or her at some point.
If appropriate, refer the reporter to others who will document
your company’s record or reputation. Whether they are industry
experts, board members or customers, independent sources can
add third-party credibility to a complex story.

Detecting a negative story before

it appears

Even after you have gone through the correct preparations, some arti-
cles will slam your organization. If, after proactive preparation, you
think that a story may be negative, there are ways to detect just how