By Brian R. Shmaefsky, PhD
On February 19, 1999, an explosion ripped through the Concept Sciences, Inc. facilities killing five people and damaging ten nearby buildings along with some houses in the vicinity of the plant. One person was an employee at another company adjacent to site. Aside from a safety infraction citations found at the Allentown, Pennsylvania company, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board found the company's process safety management systems insufficient.
Now, imagine yourself as the chief safety officer at Concept Sciences during the incident. You have three news reporters from local television stations, three radio station news correspondents and two area newspaper journalists questioning you during the investigation and cleanup processes. What questions should you expect from them? What do you say and not say about the incident? Should you allow them to talk to other employees? How much do they need to know?
Talking to the press after an incident should not be left to the amateurs. It requires preparation and an understanding of the news media. Even the most adept Human Relations officers can be left flustered and frustrated by the type of media coverage following an industrial accident. It is especially disconcerting if the accident involves fatalities and obvious negligence.
Having a press relations strategy should be an integral part of any safety management program. The plan needs to have components that anticipate different types of possible accident scenarios. Included in the plan should be an in-place community outreach program that lets the public know the company before a problem occurs and can disseminate information to the community quickly following an incident. In other words, attract the press and let the community know your company in a positive manner before something negative happens that brings your company bad publicity.
The following hints will help ease the pain of dealing with the press if an unfortunate situation arises. Remember, even a small chemical release or a seemingly insignificant accident or contamination can become newsworthy if the circumstances are right. For example, the press scrutinizes even a minor explosion as a potential terrorist attack today since the September 11, 2001 incident in New York City.
First, and generally underestimated, is the procurement of a good relationship with the community and the local media. Even small companies can inexpensively sponsor civic activities, little league and community sports, health fairs, school programs, fundraisers for charity and other events. Make sure that a press release to the local and regional media precedes any event. The local media like covering small happenings that occupy a newspaper column or two minutes of news airtime. A positive image in the community makes it harder for "bad press" to injure the reputation of a company.
Next, know the press. Use the local newspapers and broadcasts to know who will most likely cover or edit a story related to industrial accidents. Remember that the reporter is a professional who is trained to provide balanced coverage. They will be comparing your interview to the accounts provided by emergency responders, police and spectators. They have to assume that each person interviewed has equal credibility. Also, never volunteer any information "off the record" or "off the air". Reporters have a right to record any information gathered. Most reporters will never ask you to say anything "off the record."
Reporters are professionals and are well aware of their jobs. Handle them with respect and mutual understanding. Show that you trust their judgment with the line of questioning being asked. Feel free to ask their "angle" and who else they are interviewing. Be a resource and not an antagonist. Return follow-up calls immediately, or you will be stated in the news as "unavailable for comment", which is usually interpreted to mean you have something to cover up. Never ask the reporter if you can preview or edit the story before it goes to press or airs on radio or television. This function is up to the editor.
A very important part of the plan is a "talk to" list of personnel who can address press issues. They should be familiar with the company and versed in press relations. Include a representative from all ranks of the company to avoid the look of a "stacked deck". Safety or departmental meetings should include press briefing sessions. The sessions should include a quick lesson on talking to the press. Do not threaten employees into evading or becoming hostile to the press if they are approached. Just encourage them to avoid making conjectures about the incident. It is common and acceptable for a reporter to hear an employee say, "You are better off talking to my supervisor or safety officer. I do not have enough information about the incident."
Never lie and do not cover-up too much information during an interview. A good reporter will know when you are faking it since they are taught to research and assess a situation. It is acceptable to say that you do not know all the details and do not wish to discuss certain points at that moment. In addition, do not take offense to queries related to the testimonies of others being interviewed. The reporter is trying to get a balanced story and is looking for information confirmation and inconsistencies.
Be prepared to provide basic knowledge of the incident in simple terms. Avoid industry-related jargon. Know the message you want to convey and make sure you stay on target with the message. Remember, the reporter's job is to interpret what you say to a non-technical readership. Also, respond or speak in "quick quotes" or "sound bites". In other words, give the reporter a precise answer taking no more than 10 seconds. Even 5 seconds feels like an eternity during an interview! Use clear and unambiguous statements. For example, in the case of a release of radioactive materials in a laboratory:
During an interview avoid placing blame on equipment, individuals, investigation procedures or regulated practices. These comments will make their way into the news and set you up for possible libel or slander litigation. In addition, it can aggravate the bad press by leading to continuous coverage in a finger-pointing investigation. Be especially cautious if a whistleblower is involved; you want to state the facts and not publicly condemn the person. Argue the points and the not the person.
Also important is having a press release ready to go immediately after an incident. A good press release is a useful source of information. It should include facts about the incident, quotes from the upper management and people involved in the incident, background about the company, a brief summary of any exemplary safety practices and the names of contact people (including phone numbers for any follow-up queries). Use the same discretion in a press release that would be used in an interview.
A press release should not exceed 500 words and be printed double-space in a twelve font. It is common to fax a release, however, some newspapers and news stations accept files through the e-mail. At the top of the press release include the date, a headline or topic identifier and main contact person to field questions about the press release. Keep the press release clear and concise with all the important information near the top in the first one or two paragraphs. Fill in details later in the text. Stress any actions being taken to remedy the situation and document any procedures used to prevent accidents. Avoid overstatements, jargon, abbreviations and commercialism. In the write-up anticipate any questions that may be asked by the public. The press release should immediately be followed with a call to ensure it was received.
Last, is the follow up stage. Follow the coverage of the event and be ready to address what was mentioned. Do not fret over details that were left out unless it distorts the information. Also, feel free to comment to the press about any inaccuracies in the information gathered from your sources. Sometimes it is helpful to respond to the comments of others interviewed in the story using a letter to the editor. Do use not a follow-up for damage control. It becomes obvious to the press and may never get follow-up coverage.
The best damage control is to let the public know during the initial press coverage that something will be done to prevent similar incidents.
| About the Author | |
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Brian R. Shmaefsky, PhD is a professor of biology at Kingwood College in Texas. He spent four years in industry as a production chemist serving on safety training committee. He has performed safety and hazardous materials training at the college level and as an independent consultant. He has written various publications on safety training and industrial hygiene. Aside from his industrial safety experience, he is also an experienced journalist who has covered disaster stories and conducted corporate interviews for community newspapers in Houston, Texas. He has media relations training and has given media communication workshops. Dr. Shmaefsky is available for press consulting. Email: Brian.Shmaefsky@nhmccd.edu. Phone: (281) 312-1609. Fax: (281) 312-1653. |