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Working with the Media

By Marisa DiBiaso, Project Assistant

Tips for Dealing with the Media

  • Don’t talk "off the record". Expect the public to know about everything you say.
  • Return calls to reporters in a timely fashion, be aware of their deadline.
  • Don’t guess if you can’t respond to a question, especially if it’s hypothetical.
  • Keep the audience in mind.
  • Correct yourself if you said something you didn’t mean to say.
  • Make a media contact list, and appoint spokesperson as a contact person for the media.

 

Many municipal officials cringe when someone from the media calls. The media often is given a bad reputation because of their determination when

 covering a story and their excitement associated with crisis and misfortune. They may be a nuisance while you’re resurfacing roads or dealing with a storm’s aftermath. However, they can be an ally. Working with the media can make your job and the reporter’s easier. Effective media coverage can gain public support.

This article will discuss the day to day use of the media as well as working with them in a crisis situation.

Interviews

Interviews are a useful tool to communicate exactly what you want the reporter to focus on. Use mock interviews to ensure that the spokesperson is prepared. Anticipate the most probing and upsetting questions. Keep answers short and convincing; longer quotes are often edited. Don’t’ rush through the interview. If the spokesperson cannot answer a question, have them say so and refer it to a person who is more qualified to answer it. An answer of "no comment" is often mistaken for guilt. Remember that the spokesperson is speaking to the public, not just the interviewer. Therefore, do not use technical terms and abbreviations that may be unfamiliar to the average person.

Day to Day

Media coverage can be to the Public Works Department’s advantage. A good relationship with the media will ensure free publicity to a project that could use public support. The media can communicate your expectations. Useful items to report are parking restrictions, emergency information, snow removal policies. Before road repair work, newspaper articles can make rerouting more convenient for both the crew and the public. If municipalities publish their plans, then people can respond with their concerns and suggestions. Acknowledging public feedback leads to better public relations and cooperation.

Crisis Situations

Preparation is key to ensuring the media helps and not hinders during emergencies. Unforeseen crises, such as storms, often bring reporters. Keep prepared a press release on file, filling in the essential blanks, to ensure that the media gets the correct story. Appoint a spokesperson that is prepared to talk to reporters. Allow the media limited, safe access to the scene, so they can have an image for TV or the newspaper. Do not deny reporters information concerning the public. Be truthful or they will get the information from unreliable sources.

Remember that lack of preparation makes the difference between accurate coverage that makes public works looks good and inaccurate coverage that makes the department look bad. Accurate news coverage of a crisis wins favor with the public. They see the crisis as being resolved and the effort that the crew is making. Work with the media to develop an alliance that benefits both parties and opens the lines of communication with the public. This alliance can be an invaluable asset to any project.

Sources:

Return to UNH T2 Center 33 College Road, Durham NH 03824 603-862-2826 Fax 603-862-2364