Dealing with bad publicity

Disgruntled employees and customers, crises and accidents can all generate negative news stories. Knowing how to manage media enquiries during such times is crucial:

• Designate a Media Contact - make sure employees know who to refer journalists' enquiries to and ensure that only employees who are authorised to do so respond to enquiries.
• Respond promptly and professionally - if a journalist contacts you, check their deadline, carefully construct a written statement, and respond in time. It usually doesn't look good if you refuse to comment.
• Demonstrate accountability - show you have done everything you reasonably could to correct any problems.
• Handle follow-up questions carefully - if there's a tricky follow-up question, take time to put your case forward and restate it by written communication if possible.
• Avoid going off the record - it's not a good idea to go off the record when there's bad news. Answer truthfully to any questions put to you, although it's not your job to volunteer every detail.
• Consider legal implications - be aware that any response you give may carry legal implications. In the worst case scenarios, it might be worth seeking legal advice before making any responses or consider making statements for the media through your legal representatives.