1: THE 24/7 NEWS CYCLE
This is a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because we have somewhere to turn when breaking news is happening and we want to know the very latest. It is a curse because when breaking news involves you or your company, you have little to no time to respond. If your company has a crisis, gone are the days where you might have some time to figure out a plan or a response.
Often, news breaks on social media, and at times, video is literally plastered everywhere. Sometimes, video or information can even be coming from the inside. Responses to situations or incidents are expected at the same pace as the news: instantaneously. Does that mean you must always respond immediately? Absolutely not. But I can bet that a reporter will go on air and say they have reached out to you for comment and got no response.
There are many factors at play such as clearing responses by legal teams, waiting for investigations to play out, among other things. But even in those situations, having your company’s crisis response plan is a must. Because if a crisis does happen, it is not the time to be planning your response, it is the time to be acting on what you have already thoroughly prepared and planned for.
2: VIDEO IS ALL AROUND US
I referred to this above, but it deserves its own category. Video is something we cannot hide from. Even some news reports that you see on TV are shot on a cell phone. Everyone has a phone in their hand. I can’t tell you how many times throughout my career I have seen videos posted from people on the inside or they send them to others who then post them online.
Surveillance video is easier to capture with a lot of people having their own doorbell camera or more around their property.
Part of a company’s media response should involve preparing for video or photos to be leaked to the press. Because if they are online somewhere, you can bet they will be in the hands of the media.
3: OPINIONS ARE ALSO EVERYWHERE
As ironic as this is for me to type, it is my opinion that opinion does not belong in the news. But it does. If your company has a crisis and isn’t responding, you can bet that if the story is big enough and makes it to national news, someone else in a similar field or industry will be brought on as a subject matter expert. Of course, they might not be able to give facts about your situation, but they can give their expert opinion on it. The wide acceptance of opinion on the news has, in my mind, severely altered the way companies should be prepared to respond to a crisis.
4: ON CAMERA REPETITION MATTERS
Trust me, you do NOT want someone’s first time on camera to be responding to a crisis. Getting comfortable on camera, practicing delivering certain messages, answering questions, and knowing what to expect are crucial for an interview to be successful. It can be stressful to be interviewed by the media, you need to lessen the burden and be as prepared as possible.
Knowing how to answer questions and bridge to something you want to say about your company is a highly important skill to have. But it takes fine tuning. Putting in the time and training now to be prepared is worth its weight in gold. Not only does this include being prepared for all the above, but it also includes being prepared virtually. Many interviews these days are done virtually, and a bad or distracting background, light setup, or audio can be a severe distraction and take away from the message. There are little things you can do now, such as set up a corner of your office as a professional virtual space, so that if the time comes to respond, it is one less thing you have to think about.
5: BEING PROACTIVE ABOUT YOUR VIRTUAL FOOTPRINT
The media in 2024 is an interesting place. It is not just on TV, it is online in various forms: YouTube, Social Media, Podcasting, etc. It is not all bad. Having all these spaces creates more of an opportunity than ever to create a digital footprint for you or your company. By creating a digital footprint, you can open yourself up to the media in ways that are not just crisis responses.
If you are considering media training, reach out to me for more information on how I can help you or your team be prepared!
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