Page 221 - Crisis Communication Practical PR Strategies

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Crisis-control list
6. Employee training: dealing with the media

Teach your employees how they should respond in crisis situations, how
they should deal with journalists, when they are not authorized to speak
to journalists, etc. Regularly scheduled training is not a disposable
luxury!
They should pay attention to the following things:

Give no details – not even your name. Don’t let yourself get dragged
into a conversation.
Always assure the journalist that you will pass his or her questions
on immediately to a spokesperson who is aware of the situation and
who will call him or her back right away.
Ensure that you find out the following:
– Who are you talking to? What is his or her name?
– What is his or her position?
– On behalf of which newspaper or broadcaster is he or she
calling?
– What is his or her telephone number?
– What does he or she want to know?
Give the message and all the information that you have learnt to an
authorized person immediately. Check whether the spokesperson
actually contacted the journalist.
Always be polite and patient. That is the message and will remain so,
even – and particularly – in difficult circumstances.

It is not enough for you to give this list to your employees. Explain
things to them and schedule regular training sessions.

Crisis-control list
7. Crisis manual

Do not write this manual alone – teamwork is required. Writing it is the
job of the crisis team and the crisis-communication team. Your crisis
manual must be a reference work for meetings, brainstorming sessions,
crisis training and simulations. Every company has different needs.
Here is a suggested list of contents for a good crisis manual: