MEDIA MATTERS--Talking Trouble

I'm just starting a consulting job with a client who is dealing with a reporter who is literally hounding its executive director for comments on negative stories planted by a politician whose agenda is pretty obvious. Whew. Forget a crisis plan--this organization has no media plan whatsoever! So what's the first thing I recommended?

Hire a media spokesperson. Someone to manage an effective media plan while handling all communications, so that the executive director can actually have time to perform the duties they were hired to do. Train the spokesperson to handle whatever journalistic storms are rolling through until you can get a short-term media strategy worked out with a professional. (By the way, I'd be happy to help you, too--check out my seminar, Managing The Media--Getting The Press You Want When You Want It (And Handling The Press When You Don't,) on my website at MARKtalks.com.)

It doesn't matter how good you are at dealing with pesky reporters. Your job is to run the company, not run from the press. Hire a spokesperson you can trust to handle your message and let them do the heavy lifting.