“Stop the presses!”

From a business continuity planners perspective, that statement can denote problems, the need to activate a plan or to move to an alternate site. But to an editor, reporter, producer or other media members, that statement is music to their ears.

Business continuity planners need not be experts on dealing with the media – that is why organizations hire public relations specialists – but they must have an understanding of the needs and goals of the media when a crisis occurs.

First of all, the goals of a business continuity planner and a reporter will rarely be the same. The planner is trying to restore the business as quickly as possible with minimal damage to the organization’s reputation. The reporter’s goal is simply to provide a story that is interesting and informative to his readers.

Often overlooked in planning is the damage to an organization’s reputation or brand caused by an incident. Think Enron. According to a survey conducted by the Business Continuity Institute in March of 2005, only 16 percent of companies have a business continuity strategy with provisions for protecting the company’s reputation, though 57 percent have some sort of crisis communication plan in place.

Most damage to an organization’s reputation is done via mass media. One damaging story can snowball into hundreds of bad items in the news and adversely effect customers, partners and investors. Conversely, an incident, that in the eyes of the media was handled quickly and admirably, can instill confidence in investors, customers and partners. Effective positioning in the media can help create this confidence.

The Planner’s Role
Anytime an organization has an incident that has potential to be newsworthy, the planner will immediately notify the organization’s media relations team. Prior relationships with the media relations representatives must be well established and all procedures well documented in the plan. Business continuity planners should not take the lead in dealing with the media, but must be aware of the needs of the media relations personnel such as facilities, equipment and technology.

Immediately following a major incident, executive management and the public relations representative must meet to discuss the facts of the incident. The planner will then pre-determine a location where this can take place along with an alternative location if the first choice becomes unavailable. All participants must be aware of both locations ahead of time.

Based on the magnitude of the event, there may be a need for a news briefing or news conference. The difference between the two is that news briefings are statements read to the media, while a news conference consists of a statement, followed by a question and answer session with the media.

The business continuity planner needs to be aware of this requirement and find suitable space to hold a briefing or conference. The space needs to be separate from the command center (as reporters may be able to overhear or view information that is not for public knowledge) and must be large enough to accommodate a large amount of people. It can’t be too far from the command center (a different part of the building may be acceptable), as executives will need to be able to travel back and forth in a timely manner.

The planner will ensure that the location is accessible to the media, has visual appeal for television and has sufficient space. They’ll also ensure that security procedures, if necessary, are in place for the media to gain access to the location which may require the media relations personnel to pre-approve media members.

Look Who’s Talking
The business continuity plan must also identify an organizational spokesperson for any incident which may require a news conference or briefing. The person should be of a high-enough level in the organization to instill confidence, be able to formulate coherent thoughts while in front of a camera and be available to speak on behalf of the organization without having to refer all questions back to another department. A president or CEO is usually designated in this position. It’s also important to find an alternate in case the first person becomes unavailable. The alternate can be a media relations person who is used to dealing with the media. Ensure that any designated spokespersons are properly trained in media relations.

During an incident, it is always a good idea to include any outside authorities in the crisis communications plan. Fire department representatives, police department spokesmen or other government representatives help lend credibility to situations and show that the organization is being fully cooperative with local authorities.

For example, in December 1994, the flagship of the Cunard line, the Queen Elizabeth 2 arrived in New York. Unfortunately for the passengers, recent upgrades were not completed prior to the ship setting sail. Toilets overflowed, cabins were not finished and emergency exits were blocked with construction equipment and debris. Passengers notified the U.S. Coast Guard, who promptly ordered the ship not to leave New York until safety violations were corrected.

Cunard wisely chose to hold a media conference with the Coast Guard. This provided the perception that they were working diligently with the appropriate authorities to correct the situation as quickly as possible. As such, the reputational damage of the incident was decreased.

Additionally, the planner must identify any technical staff that may need to attend a news briefing or conference to answer follow-up questions and provide any necessary background for reporters who may be on a tight deadline.

The Human Element
Planners must be aware that reporters are always seeking the human side of tragedies. Be sure that all those who may come in contact with media members in the aftermath of an incident understand this fact. A colleague laughing in regard to an unrelated matter on the sidelines of a news conference may be perceived as unsympathetic to the events that have occurred.

It is also a good idea to inform all personnel in attendance that they will assume that nothing is off the record. Any casual comments to reporters, producers or photographers can be used.

In addition, an organization must never discuss or speculate about injuries or deaths, unless they have been confirmed and the next of kin has been notified.

Additional Considerations for Planners
In addition to locations for media to meet with the company spokesperson, business continuity planners need to consider what audio visual aids may be needed for news conferences or briefings. Provisions to create charts, slides and other visual aids should be included in the plan. Ensure that easels, projectors, screens or other AV equipment that may be needed are available.

Planners must also ensure that procedures and equipment are in place to record the news of any television stations that have contacted the organization or attended a news conference in order to review and critique the coverage. Also, they must ensure that the organization has the ability to monitor the print media as well.

Finally, if the incident may be criminal in nature or could result in a civil lawsuit, it may be best to retain outside legal representation. Use the outside legal representative to sub-contract a public relations representative. Since some of the information discussed may be sensitive in nature, this arrangement will ensure that the PR representative is covered under attorney/client privileges. (This provision may vary by country or state, so check with your legal representatives to review.)

Reporters are human beings too. By making it easier to cover a story and providing for the needs of the organization’s media relations team, a business continuity planner can show that the organization is providing an efficient professional response to an incident and this will surely be reflected in the media coverage.