News
travels at the speed of light... and bad news travels even
faster. Your "trial-by-fire" may well be
a "trial-by-media."
You'll never know when
that bad news will strike, and the reporters and live trucks won't be
far behind. In most instances, there are few things you can
do to make the situation better... and many that can make them
worse.
Do nothing...? That's the worst choice.
The old playbook used to call for "No comment." Unfortunately, "no
comment" won't kill the story -- it just gives other people the chance
to decide for the news consumer how to interpret your tragedy.
Veteran television reporter Ike Pigott can help remove that fear, by
taking you inside the process of how news becomes "news of the day." He
offers valuable insights on how to respond to interviews in emergency
situations. He details how you can craft and focus a message that
instills confidence in the news consumer.
You won't know when...
You won't know how...
...but you will need this information, to prevent an adverse situation from
becoming worse.
What is a Positive Position?
When it comes to the news, a "Positive Position" can be measured in a number
of ways:
- Your ease in getting coverage for good events.
- Your ease in earning trust when bad events occur.
But the easiest way is...
- The face someone makes when they hear the name of your organization.
- With
few exceptions, you only have time to make one impression on the
hundreds of thousands of news consumers in your market. Make it the
right one, and leave in as positive a position as possible.
Who is this for?
Anyone
who has a stake in ensuring a long-term "Positive Position" for a
company or organiztion. Because news travels at the speed of light, you
need to have this information in the hands of the middle managers most
likely to be on the "front lines" of a news event:
- School principals
- Division managers
- Local store managers
- Patrol sergeants
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