THE CRISIS METHOD
How to Approach Difficult Decisions, Work With Journalists, and Organize a Response That Protects People and Preserves Credibility
PART TWO: THE FOURTH ESTATE
Media Relations
If it bleeds, it leads. The news follows the path of maximum controversy. Mistakes, attacks, and scandals will get coverage from news organizations. Speeches, policies, and good news might not.
Maintain, but don’t bet on, relationships with reporters. Build relationships with reporters, supply them with reliable information, and respond to them promptly. Journalists and editors can influence coverage, but their interest guarantees neither publication nor favorable treatment. A friendly lunch today cannot prevent a bad headline tomorrow.
Make their job easier. Give journalists clear timelines, original documents, credible experts, and accurately labeled images. Help them verify the story under deadline. Keep working with them when tempers rise. A tight deadline is not evidence of bad faith.
Annoying questions. Annoying, repeated questions may signal an unanswered concern shared by more people than just the journalist. Take them seriously. A persistent reporter may simply be doing the job well. Objecting to a negative angle does nothing to address the underlying concern.
Grab the right tool. Not every development requires a press release. Use a short statement for confirmed essentials, a briefing for complex questions, and direct contact for urgent clarification. Often a call or text suffices.
Off the Record?
Everything is on the record. Treat every exchange with a journalist as publishable and attributable unless there is an explicit agreement beforehand. Establish permitted uses, source descriptions, and confidentiality limits before sharing information. Familiarity does not establish confidentiality. A stopped recording device is not a confidentiality agreement.
When public accountability matters, prefer speaking on the record. Use other arrangements sparingly.
Agree first, disclose next. Agree on what “off the record” means before sharing information. It generally prohibits publication, but definitions vary. Specify permitted uses and discuss independent verification. The agreement does not necessarily prevent a journalist from pursuing other sources. Regret is not a retroactive agreement.
Agree on your description. “On background” usually permits publication with an agreed description in place of your name. Negotiate that description and any restrictions before speaking. A detailed description can identify you as readily as a name — and there are circumstances where this can be used to your advantage.
Deep background has its limits. “Deep background” commonly permits use of information without identifying or describing its source. Definitions vary. Agree on the terms before speaking, and do not assume they guarantee anonymity.
Say what you can say. Answer fair questions, including uncomfortable ones. Explain limits imposed by privacy, safety, legal duties, or an investigation, and share what you can.
“Ongoing investigation” is not a universal exemption from explanation. Avoid speculation, and tell people how unanswered questions will be addressed.
Interview Readiness
Know more than just your lines. Learn the facts, likely challenges, and limits of your knowledge. Practice concise answers in your own words. Listen and think before answering.
Let colleagues challenge weak answers before a journalist does. The follow-up question often reveals whether you actually understand your first answer.
“I don’t know” is a good answer. When you do not know an answer, say so and explain how you will check. Promise a follow-up only if you can deliver it. Keep the promise. Refer questions beyond your expertise to someone qualified.
Answer first, then bridge. Answer the question, correcting any false premise, then connect your answer to relevant facts or action. “Here is what we do know, and here is what we are doing” can help. Substituting an easier question or a slogan wastes everyone’s time.
The camera sees more than words. Choose a format, setting, and manner that suit the situation. Assume that images and clips may be shown without their original context. Avoid staged emotion, misleading visuals, and unverified evidence.
The delivery must fit the situation. Be attentive and composed. Consider those affected by the crisis. Match your tone to the circumstances. A smile can seem callous; nodding can imply agreement. An eyebrow can issue a statement of its own.