Crisis Communications Training Toolkit. Module 3: Dealing with the media

The media use a range of ways to speak with you:

• Face to face: Good chance to develop a rapport and read body language of interviewer.
• In studio: Can be intimidating or off-putting if you're not used to the surrounds and equipment.
• Down the line: Can seem strange as you're in a small room talking to yourself. Lacks human interaction.
• Over the phone: Ensure you are on a landline or have good reception and are not at the airport or beside a busy road.
• Skype/Zoom/FaceTime: Make sure you have adequate equipment and connectivity. May be voice or video recorded.
• Press conference: Good chance to complete many interviews at once and save time. Risk is pack turning on you. Journalists can be like wolves when in groups.
• Doorstop: As above, but with little time to prepare. Never walk away if you don't like how the interview is going – use a bridging phrase to reiterate your overarching message, before politely thanking the journalist and stating that you are not able to answer any more questions at this time.

Radio (long form)

• Gives illusion of a one-on-one relationship with the journalist and the audience.
• Remember you are talking to people, not at them. Try to avoid using phrases such as "Hello, to the audience", "I'd like to tell the listeners", "What your listeners may not know". 

Television

• More demanding as the audience can see you, so the way you hold yourself, what you wear, your posture and expression become more important.
• Usually limited in time so be brief and prioritise key messages. 

Newspaper

• Get to key messages early, do not ramble and place emphasis on important points.
• If on the phone, just because they can't see you does not mean they can't pick up on your expression, tone and level of interest. Approach a newspaper interview as you would one that will be broadcast. 

Advantages

• you have more time to get your message across
• the journalist can't edit or pick and choose what is used
• you can challenge the journalist on points they make. 

Disadvantages

• you're live! No second takes of stumbled answers, the interview goes straight to air
• you need to be quick on your feet.

Advantages

• can be done at any time
• you can ask to re-phrase if you make a mistake
• does not have the pressure of going live to air.

Disadvantages

• the journalist has no set time to stick to, so interviews may be long
• interview can be edited, and the content that is selected can potentially be used out of context.

Read the worksheet, Simple tips for better media interviews. This provides a basic guide on what to expect from the journalist/program host at interview time, and ways you can give yourself the best chance for delivering a pertinent and successful interview.

Open the worksheet, Interview preparation worksheet. This is your step-by-step guide to be used before every interview you give in the future. 

This worksheet will help you to:

• identify why you are participating in the interview and give confidence to accept or decline the request
• define objectives and audience
• define key messages
• use select bridging phrases to buy time and get back on track with key messages
• shape how to answer a question you don’t want to be asked.

Here is a list of effective phrases to give time to collect thoughts, turn the focus back to your key message, reset and change direction of the interview in your favour.

• Look, I think the real issue...
• Another way of looking at it...
• We have consistently said...
• Our highest priority is...
• Thank you for the question...
• I think what's just as important is...
• I think it would be more accurate to say...
• Let me explain that again...
• What matters most in this situation is...
• While that is important, it is also important to remember that...
• It all boils down to this...
• And that reminds me...
• Before we leave the subject, I need to add...
• I appreciated the opportunity to address this issue because it is an important one.

Download the simple tips for better media interviews worksheet.

Download the interview preparation worksheet.

Download the communications plan on a page.

A scenario exercise is a commonly used discussion-based activity, using a relevant situation that may occur within a designated timeframe. 

Participants are expected to have some familiarity with the situation being tested or the plans being exercised. Participants may include farm owners, key personnel, stakeholders, external facilitator, industry association contacts or extension officers. 

Here we nominate a hypothetical scenario based on a common agricultural threat or risk. We use the Toolkit worksheets to test, exercise and improve the response to the situation. 

Preparation for the exercise is as important as the exercise itself, as participants need to be aware of what is required of them before, during and after the exercise. To set the stage, topics for a pre-exercise briefing may include:

• aims, purpose and objectives
• roles and responsibilities of each participant during the exercise
• information, communication tools and technology to be used
• action in the event of unforeseen circumstances
• post-exercise de-brief and actions arising from the exercise.

Use the scenario exercise to integrate lessons into the worksheets. For example, refining your key messages, adding names to the key contacts list or using the risk matrix to identify the likelihood and consequence of this specific hypothetical situation occurring in your farm business.

Source: Good Practice Guidelines, The Business Continuity Institute/The BCI Forum Limited. Published 2017.

You notice a strange discolouration and curling of leaves on the fruit trees on your orchard. It is not something you have seen before. You ask your neighbouring farmer – they too haven’t seen it before. 

Suddenly the affected trees drop all their leaves and die quickly. You wonder whether the curling leaves you noticed a few weeks earlier had something to do with it. You immediately bulldoze the sick trees and burn them. Your neighbour calls and says he’s just noticed sick trees in his orchard too – he has called a plant pathologist at the DPI. The pathologist immediately recognises the symptoms of a disease common in Asia but not found in Australia… until now. The Department enacts its emergency response protocols. 

Task

First consider whether your actions in burning the trees reflected your personal and business values, and the strategic communications plan for your business.

Then use the communications plan on a page to quickly consider how you will respond when the biosecurity inspector calls?

• What is your goal for the situation?
• How will you communicate your decision to burn the trees?
• How will you demonstrate your remorse and willingness to make amends?
• Have you sought legal advice?

Disease that wiped out thousands of citrus crops in Queensland detected in the Northern Territory - ABC News