Michael Vick
Beverly Tabbs
August 22, 2007
Michael Vick: When Good Athletes Turn Bad How to Handle a PR Nightmare
By Robert Smith www.myprbook.com
In an era when any news story occurring anywhere in the world can become an instant sensation within minutes after it breaks, it is essential to develop and maintain a rapport with those news media organizations local to your interests and national in terms of their outreach and influence.
It is essential to anticipate a crisis event by having basic information about one’s organization available in the form of a simple, one-page fact sheet. The media will report the data you provide or find it elsewhere, as often as not, from groups whose goal is to put you out of business.
Designate a "crisis team" of spokespersons. In these times, that generally means the CEO and, in large organizations, its communications professionals.
For organizations too small to have a communications staff, a working relationship with a public relations counselor or agency is simply part of the cost of doing business these days.
Immediacy is the key element of any program to control the impact of a crisis event. The news media which will report on the event must receive a statement, i.e., news release, on a same-day basis that responds to the circumstances in an appropriate fashion. The public wants to know that there is a concern for those affected.
There is, of course, much more involved in the way crisis communications options are applied, but suffice to say that lawyers will advise against "going public" in any significant way. They are wrong. Silence is perceived as guilt.
It is a fact of life that the news media are largely devoted to the notion that everyone in government or business is solely motivated by greed or some evil obsession to harm everyone in some fashion. Their guilt is assumed. Yes, there are bad apples in every barrel, but my experience has been that most organizations work very hard to avoid the accidents and events that create problems.
Americans and the media that serve them seem obsessed with the notion that every single product, process, and activity be free of any potential harm. Life doesn’t work that way.
The human element, mental fatigue, natural disasters, and every other thing that can go wrong ensures the need for a functional crisis communication plan.
Robert Smith is a top PR and crisis expert. He can be reached at 815-633-3375.
By Robert Smith www.myprbook.com
In an era when any news story occurring anywhere in the world can become an instant sensation within minutes after it breaks, it is essential to develop and maintain a rapport with those news media organizations local to your interests and national in terms of their outreach and influence.
It is essential to anticipate a crisis event by having basic information about one’s organization available in the form of a simple, one-page fact sheet. The media will report the data you provide or find it elsewhere, as often as not, from groups whose goal is to put you out of business.
Designate a "crisis team" of spokespersons. In these times, that generally means the CEO and, in large organizations, its communications professionals.
For organizations too small to have a communications staff, a working relationship with a public relations counselor or agency is simply part of the cost of doing business these days.
Immediacy is the key element of any program to control the impact of a crisis event. The news media which will report on the event must receive a statement, i.e., news release, on a same-day basis that responds to the circumstances in an appropriate fashion. The public wants to know that there is a concern for those affected.
There is, of course, much more involved in the way crisis communications options are applied, but suffice to say that lawyers will advise against "going public" in any significant way. They are wrong. Silence is perceived as guilt.
It is a fact of life that the news media are largely devoted to the notion that everyone in government or business is solely motivated by greed or some evil obsession to harm everyone in some fashion. Their guilt is assumed. Yes, there are bad apples in every barrel, but my experience has been that most organizations work very hard to avoid the accidents and events that create problems.
Americans and the media that serve them seem obsessed with the notion that every single product, process, and activity be free of any potential harm. Life doesn’t work that way.
The human element, mental fatigue, natural disasters, and every other thing that can go wrong ensures the need for a functional crisis communication plan.
Robert Smith is a top PR and crisis expert. He can be reached at 815-633-3375.
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