Managing the Media

During and After a Critical Incident

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Participants• John McFadden

– Director of Business Continuity and Crisis Management, Genzyme Corporation

• Alan Snow

– Director, Safety and Security, Boston Properties)

• John Juliano – Former Director of Security,

Royal Sonesta

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Speaker• Peter Brown

• Vice President of Public Affairs at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and

• Chief of Staff, Office of the CEO, Partners Healcare

• Deputy Chief Gerry Mahoney– Cambridge Fire Department

• Ini Tomeu

– Public Information Officer, City of Cambridge

• Dave Degou– Superintendant, Cambridge

Police Department, retired• Paul Ames

– Deputy Superintendant, Cambrige Police Department

Exercise layout

• Situation recap of our Q1 Exercise

• Tabletop role playing exercise will be continuous throughout the presentation.

• We ask for group & audience participation• We will speak to tools & techniques on how to prepare for

and respond to the media during an event.

• We will look at the impact of other emerging outlets, i.e. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

• Discuss how critical the first few moments and statements can be during an event.

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Company profile

FreshPond Water Company

FreshPond Water Company distributes 11 Million gallons Daily of domestic water to the community. The privately owned 15 acre campus is a state of the art complex maintained by 115 employees.

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Don Haverty:

•Terminated employee after 15 years

•Recently separated from his wife due to financial stress

•Has begun sending emails and leaving voicemails with non-specific threat.

•Lost an unemployment hearing last week

Situation Report

10:00 am

• Suspect entered main door and approached receptionist. He asked to see former manager.

• When denied he became aggressive and refused to be delayed.

• Left after making some poorly veiled threats.

10:04 am10:06 am

Situation Report

10:12 am

• Suspect returns shortly after and produces a shotgun

• Suspect demands to speak with manager and shoots receptionist.

• Suspect enters facility unopposed.

10:13 am10:14 am

Situation Report

10:15 am

• Suspect encounters plant worker and wounds him at the top of the stairs.

• Plant worker comes out to investigate sounds of the shot.

• Suspect lets himself into office complex and continues his spree.

ECC- First Calls ReceivedPolice- Sector Cars En RouteCFD- Medics En Route

10:16 am

The media has picked up radio transmission and has begun placing calls to CPD for comment.

Due to consistent scanner activity the media has mobilized and is now covering the incident.

Situation Report

News Helicopter Capturing Footage

REPORTER VIDEO 1ST REPORT OF ACTIVITY

What Are Your Concerns?

What is the media doing right now?

1. Calling CPD/CFD/PRO2. Calling the company3. Calling area companies and residences4. Going to company websites

• Suspect Enters Office Area• Begins Searching For Target

•Suspect Shoots 2 Employees in Interior Hallway

ECC- Multiple Calls ReceivedPolice- First Units On-SceneCFD- Medics En Route

10:17 am10:30 am

Situation Report

10:30 am

• First Units Arrive and Enter

• Suspect Engages Police

• Enters Control Room

ECC- Multiple Calls ReceivedPolice- First Units On-SceneCFD- Medics En Route

10:32 amSituation Report

10:33 am

• Suspect takes a hostage and becomes barricaded

• Responding Units Isolate Suspect

• SRT Arrives On Scene

ECC- Multiple Calls ReceivedPolice- First Units On-Scene

SRT On-SceneCFD- Medics On-SceneICP- Established

10:50 am10:35 amSituation Report

Emergency Services are securing the area.

Road Closures are impacting the area.

News crews are looking for bystanders

Road Closures and Staging areas are being implemented

News Team Releases this Video

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• EMPLOYEE ESCAPING FROM BUILDING TALKING TO REPORTER

What are you doing to interact with the Media?

What Are Your Concerns?

11:00 am

• SRT and Tact Medics Triage and Treat Wounded • SRT Relieve Initial response Officers and Isolate Suspect

• Tact Medics Embed With SRT at ICP

ECC- Managing Calls for ServicePolice- First Units Relieved

SRT On-SceneCFD- Medics On-Scene

Tact Medics On-SceneICP- Operational

11:40 am11:15 amSituation Report

• Situation within the building is coming to a close, BUT the event is still on going

• Police have spoken to the media once with a limited briefing

• We are approaching the 12pm news casts for TV

• What opportunities are there to inform the public

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What Are Your Concerns?

What are you going to do and how are you managing the information?

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• The Media has picked up on a lead that has not been answered at this time

• REPORTER TALKING ABOUT WATER CONTAMINATION

11:45

• Suspect Detonates Device

• Negotiator Convinces Suspect to Surrender

• Suspect is Arrested

ECC- Managing Calls for ServicePolice- SRT On-Scene

Negotiators On-SceneCFD- Medics On-Scene

Tact Medics On-SceneICP- Operational

12:0012:03

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• REPORTER UPDATE EXPLOSION IN THE BUILDING

What are you doing to interact with the Media?

What Are Your Concerns?

• Family members and friends are arriving onsite after seeing footage on the news

•News teams are capturing grieving family members

12:15 pm

• What are you going to do with family and friends that are arriving at the scene• How are you managing the families attempting to contact the Company via phone.

• What and how are you going to do to communicate to your employees?

• What if possible can employees release for information?– Can you control the information release?

• Are you prepared to offer Grievance counseling?• What HR involvement options do you have?

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What Are Your Concerns?

What Response Measures do you have in place to engage/manage

other media outlets

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Internet Video Outlets

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FreshPond Water Shooter!!!

What can you do

FreshPond shooter on video!!!

Internet Search Engines

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• Once it hits the web it is in the hands of anyone who will listen

So what are your next steps

• When are you prepared to deliver a news conference?

• Who will participate from the Company on this briefing?

• What is being released for information?

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Your Public Statement

News organizations want:

• A rapid response

• Updated info

• Easy access to interviews

• To meet deadlines

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Your Public StatementWritten or verbal?It all depends …

• Written statement avoids Q & A

• Verbal statement promotes Q & A

Trained professional must give statement

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Your Public Statement

• Press conference – be certain you have information to share

• Bad press conference cannot answer questions

• If you appear evasive, a negative public perception is l ikely 32

Your Public Statement

• Do not change your message once you agree on what to say

• The media loves inconsistency

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Your Public Statement

• You can build on your message, but don’t back away from it

• That’s why you start with the basics – Who? What? When? Where?

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Your Public Statement

• What happened? (only detail you want to share)

• When?• Who was involved?• Where did it happen?• How? – maybe?• Why? – be very careful

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• Rehearse your plan – with the media, if possible

• Know the benefits of establishing a posit ive relationship with the media

• Identify the different types of media and their particular needs

• Learn the best techniques to get your story to the public

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Media & You

Who Is Your Media?

• Do you have a media contact l ist? (Updated every 2 months)

• Have you pitched any posit ive stories to the media?

• Help the media f i l l the ‘news hole’

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Media & You

• Before you talk to the media

• Make certain everyone whowill speak knows what to say

• Your PIO is the keeper of thesepublic remarks

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Media & You

The ‘Dos’ to Remember• Stay on message

• Be assertive and positive

• Offer context

Think before you speak –a pause is OK

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Media & YouThe ‘Don’ts’

• Don’t talk down to the reporter – your job is

to educate/inform/engage

• Don’t use jargon or acronyms

• Don’t give too much detail (otherwise known

as rambling)

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Media & You

The ‘Don’ts’

• Don’t speak for anyone else

• Don’t speculate (a trap)

• Don’t debate the reporter

• Don’t be defensive

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Media & You

The Don’ts

• Don’t blame reporter for someone else’s poor treatment of you

• Don’t let falsehoods stand

• Don’t ask reporter to suppress data

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Media & You

Please do not

conduct an interview

unti l you are ready …

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Media & You

Why the Message Matters

• Messages keep you focused and disciplined

• Messages help you break through clutter of rumors, false reporting

• Message repetit ion is important

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Media & You

Reporter’s Advantages• Starts with preconceived story angle

• Asks the questions

• Controls the elements (including other interviews)

• Writes the story/controls edit ing

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Media & You

Your Advantages

• Think l ike a reporter

• What questions would you ask if you were the reporter?

• Regular practice sessions to keep your skil ls fresh

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Media & You

Question: ‘Yes or no: Is the father of the murder victim guilty of this crime?’

Answer: ‘The investigation is underway and we have reached no conclusion’

Yes or No Questions

Take control of the answer

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Media & YouTo Avoid a Question You Simply

Don’t Want to Answer …

‘That’s a good question. I would like to think about that and get back to you …’

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Limit use of this response

Media & You

Any Interview

Never say:‘No comment’

‘No comment’ = you have something to hide

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Media

Rules of Engagement• ‘Off the record’, ‘not for attribution’

and ‘deep background’ are dangerous terms for the novice

Keep everything on the record

• Off the record and other terms – work with your PIO

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Media & You

The Ground RulesThe interview begins the moment you say hello

• Take care until you or reporter is gone and out of range

• Danger lurks when you think someone cannot hear you

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Media & You

At the End

• Take opportunity to repeat your message one more time

• Provide follow-up, if you’ve promised

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PRESS CONFERENCE