Практический этикет и кризисные коммуникации со сми

UNIT VII

EFFECTIVE MEDIA RELATIONS

There will always be areas of friction and disagreement between public relations people and journalists, but that doesn't mean that there can't be solid working relationships based on mutual respect for each other's work. A good working relationship with the media is vital for a public relations writer. Indeed, one definition of public relations is the building of relationship between the organization and its various publics.

Many guidelines for dealing effectively with the media have been compiled. Most of them are well tested and proven, but you must always remember that there are no ironclad rules. Media people are also individuals to whom a particular approach may or may not be applicable. Here's a list of general guidelines.

Know your media. Be familiar with the publications and broadcast outlets that are regularly used. Know their deadlines, news format, audiences, and needs. Do your homework before sending a pitch letter or news material.

Limit your mailings. Multiple news releases are inefficient and costly, and alienate media gatekeepers. Send releases only to publications and broadcast outlets that would have an interest in the information.

Localize. Countless surveys show that the most effective materials have a local angle. Take the time to develop that angle before sending materials to specific publications.

Send newsworthy information. Avoid excessive hype and promotion.

Practice good writing. News materials should be well written and concise. Avoid technical jargon in materials sent to nontechnical publications.

Avoid gimmicks. Don't send T-shirts, teddy bears, balloon bouquets, or other frivolous items to get the attention of media gatekeepers.

Be environmentally correct. Avoid giant press kits and reams of background materials. Save trees.

Be available. You are the spokesperson for an organization. It is your responsibility to be accessible at all times, even in the middle of the night. Key reporters should have your office and home telephone numbers.

Get back to reporters. Make it a priority to respect your promises and call them back in a timely manner. They have deadlines to meet.

Answer your own phone. Use voice mail systems as a tool of service, not a screening device. Reporters (like other people) hate getting bogged down in the electronic swamp of endless button pushing.

Be truthful. Give accurate and complete information even if it is not flattering to your organization. Your facts and figures must be clear and dependable.

Answer questions. There are only three acceptable answers: "Here it is", "I don't know but I'll get back to you within an hour" and "I know but I can't tell you now because...". "No comment" is not one of the three alternatives.

Protect exclusives. If a reporter has found a story, don't give it to anyone else.

Be fair. Competing media deserve equal opportunity to receive information in a timely manner.

Help photographers. Facilitate their work by getting people together in a cen­tral location, providing necessary props, and supplying full names and titles.

Explain. Give reporters background briefings and materials so that they under­stand your organization. Tell them how decisions were reached and why.

Remember deadlines. The reporter must have enough time to write a story. One good rule is to provide information days or weeks in advance. In addition, don't call a media outlet to make a pitch at deadlines time.

Praise good work. If a reporter has written or produced a good story, send a complimentary note. A copy to the editor is also appreciated.

Correct errors politely. Ignore minor errors such as misspellings, inaccurate ag­es, and wrong titles. If there is a major factual error that skews the accuracy of the en­tire story, talk to the reporter who wrote the story. If that doesn't work, talk to the edi­tor or news director.

Vocabulary:

alienate - отдалять, отвращать

angle - точка зрения, подход

applicable - применимый

avoid - избегать

compile - составить

concise - краткий, сжатый

deadline - крайний срок

definition - определение

device - приспособление

exclusive - эксклюзивное сообщение

facilitate - облегчать

flatter - льстить

guidelines - правила, инструкции

ironclad rules - «железные» правила

meet the deadline - выполнить ч.-л. в срок

pitch letter - рекламно-информационное письмо

priority - первостепенная задача

props - реквизит

ream - груда

skew - исказить

take the time - не торопиться

vital - жизненно важный

voice mail system - автоответчик

Exercises

1) Find the English equivalents in the text and use them in sentences of your own:

заранее; взаимное уважение; высоко оценивать; фактическая ошибка; неправильное написание; неэффективно; достоверный факт; пустяковая, ерундовая вещица; приемлемый ответ; бесчисленные опросы.

2) Find the words in the text which describe or mean the following:

to find out who is calling on the telephone, especially by using an answering machine, so that you do not have to speak to somebody you do not want to speak to ; rules or instructions about the best way to do smth.; a date or time by which you have to do or complete smth.; to add local interest material to a story; the thing that you think is the most important and that needs attention before anything else; an important news story that is in only one newspaper, magazine, television program etc.

3) Translate the following words and word-combinations into Russian. Make sentences of your own:

1. to meet a deadline, to miss a deadline, to set a deadline, to work under a tight deadline, at deadline time;

2. to establish priorities, a top/ high/ first priority, to have/ take/ get priority, to get one's priorities straight/right.

4) Match the words (there can be more than one variant). Use them in sentences of your own:

news	rules
ironclad	answer
news	letter
acceptable	director
pitch	releases

5) Translate the following sentences into Russian:

Lawyers examined reams of documents.

Jackson's comments alienated many baseball fans.

It depends on your definition of success.

Try approaching the problem from a different angle.

Dividing students into small groups usually helps facilitate discussion.

6) Match the words which are close in their meaning:

regularly	reliable
costly	conflict
disagreement	essential
solid	constantly
vital	expensive

7) Match the words which are opposite in their meaning:

frivolous	redundant
timely	flexible
flatter	inopportune
ironclad	criticize
concise	sensible

8) Can you explain the following:

Reporters (like other people) hate getting bogged down in the electronic swamp of endless button pushing.

Countless surveys show that the most effective materials have a local angle.

9) Develop two or three items of the general guidelines which you find the most important. Start with:

From the point of view of...

It has been pointed out that...

I'd just like to say...

I think (suppose, guess, believe, dare say)...

Personally I believe...

In my opinion (view)...

As I see it...

10) Prepare the topic Effective media relations for retelling.

UNIT VIII

MEDIA ETIQUETTE

In addition to the foregoing guidelines, there are several matters of media etiquette that should be observed.

Irritating phone calls. Don't call a reporter or an editor to ask if your news release was received. Simply assume that it was if you used a regular channel of distribution such as first-class mail, a courier service, or fax. Unfortunately, the practice of phoning reporters with such an inane question is done as a pretext for calling attention to the news release or making a pitch.

Although the approach seems logical, it is better to call a reporter to offer some piece of information or a story angle that may not be explicit in the news release. The telephone call then becomes an information call instead of a plea to read the news release and use it.

Inappropriate requests. It is not appropriate to ask a publication or broadcast outlet to send you a clipping of the story or news segment. If you want such material you should make arrangements with a clipping service or a broadcast monitoring firm.

It also is not a good idea to ask if you can check a story before it runs. Publications rarely give such permission and consider the request an infringement on the First Amendment rights. From a practical standpoint, news is timely, and there isn't time for outside sources to check stories. It is permissible to ask a reporter if you can check any quotes attributed to you. In many cases, however, you will still get a frosty no.

Vocabulary:

assume - предположить, допустить

attributed to smb.- приписываемый к.-л.

call attention to smth.- привлечь внимание к ч.-л.

channel of distribution - канал распространения

courier service - курьерская служба

explicit - ясный, четкий, точный

fax - факс

foregoing - вышеупомянутый

inane - бессмысленный, пустой

inappropriate - неуместный

infringement - нарушение

irritating - раздражающий

make a pitch - пытаться протолкнуть информацию

observe - соблюдать

permissible - позволительно

permission - позволение

plea - просьба

pretext - предлог

quote – цитата

Exercises

1) Find the English equivalents in the text. Use them in sentences of your own:

в добавление к ч.-л.; привести к ч.-л.; обычный канал; подход (к проблеме); ас­пект сообщения, радиостанция, фирма звукозаписи, проверить сообщение, точка зрения; внешние источники; газетные вырезки.

2) Find the words in the text which describe or mean the following:

a request that is urgent or full of emotion; to try to make a business agreement, or to sell smth. saying how good it is; a reason given for an action, used in order to hide your own intentions.

3) Translate the following words and word-combinations into Russian. Use them in sentences of your own:

to permit smb. to do smth, to give/ask a travel/work/export etc. permit, to give a permission, permissible, permissive, permissiveness.

4) Translate the following sentences into Russian:

He was glad to have a pretext to leave the party early.

The movie is inappropriate for children.

A health inspector gave explicit instructions on how to correct the problem.

It is assumed that they will eventually join the EU.

Doctors attributed his quick recovery to his physical fitness.

5) Match the words which are opposite in their meaning:

outside	forbidden
receive	internal
appropriate	turn down
failure	improper
permissible	success

6) Write down 5 questions to the text beginning with "Why...?"

7) Agree or disagree:

It is inappropriate to ask media outlets for clips of news articles or to see the story before it is published or broadcast.

8) Render the following item in English:

В настоящее время в прессе, в основном, публикуются статьи и очерки, которые дают фоновую информацию к новостям или же статьи и очерки конъюнктурного или общего характера. Как раз здесь и существуют превосходные возможности сотрудничества с журналистами в выдвижении на первый план каких-либо особых интересов. Им требуется постоянный поток идей и проблем, которые они могли бы использовать, и, как правило, они готовы выслушать любые конструктивные предложения. Может показаться, что такая ситуация открывает возможность для оказания неподобающего давления или даже подкупа, однако на самом деле случаи коррупции редки, поскольку неразумные действия часто дискредитируют цель. Постепенно между представителями прессы и специалистами в сфере паблик рилейшнз складываются новые профессиональные отношения. Пресса начинает осознавать ценность контактов с организациями, используя которые может быстро получить достоверную информацию. Компетентные специалисты в области паблик рилейшнз, в свою очередь, с уважением относятся к роли представителей прессы в предоставлении общественности сбалансированной информации, понимают проблемы, связанные с целесообразностью публикаций и ограниченностью их объема.

UNIT IX

CRISIS COMMUNICATION

A good working relationship with the media is severely tested in times of crisis. All the rules and guidelines about working effectively with the press are magnified and in­tensified when something out of the ordinary occurs and thus becomes extremely newsworthy.

Here is a sampling of major crises that have hit various organizations:

The safety of Dow-Corning's silicone gel breast implants comes under fire from both the medical community and thousands of women who claim that they were har­med by the product.

Sears is charged by consumer agencies in several states for defrauding customers and making unnecessary repairs at its auto centers.

An outbreak of food poisoning, leading to the death of a 2-year-old, is traced to contaminated beef served by Jack-In-The-Box restaurants in Washington State.

An activist environmental group claims that the pesticide Alar used on apples is a health hazard to children. The claim is featured on TV, causing a major drop in apple sales, affecting thousands of apple growers.

A Florida man claims that his wife's fatal brain tumor was caused by her frequent use of a cellular phone. He files a lawsuit and gets national exposure with an appearan­ce on TV.

These situations, no matter what the circumstances are, constitute major crises be­cause the reputation of the company, industry, or product is in jeopardy. Economic sur­vival is at stake, and a company can lose millions of dollars overnight if the public per­ceives that a problem exists.

Johnson & Johnson, owner of the maker of Tylenol, saw the brand's market share shrink from 37 percent to barely 6 percent in a matter of days after capsules laced with cyanide killed seven people in Chicago. By the time it was established that someone had tampered with the product after it had reached store shelves, the ordeal had cost the company more than $50 million to recall the product and test all its manufacturing processes.

During such times of crisis, the media can be adversaries or allies. It all depends on how you and your organization manage the crisis and understand the media's point of view.

Vocabulary:

adversary - противник

ally - союзник

barely - едва

be at stake - быть поставленным на карту

brain tumor - опухоль мозга

brand - марка, сорт

claim - утверждать, заявлять

cellular phone - сотовый телефон

charge smb. for smth.- обвинять к.-л. в ч.-л.

come under fire - вызвать град нападок

consumer - потребитель

contaminated - зараженный

crisis - кризис, crises (pl)

crisis communications - экстремальные связи с общественностью

defraud - обманывать

evasive - уклончивый

file a lawsuit - возбудить судебное дело

food poisoning - пищевое отравление

fuel - разжигать

harm - причинять вред

health hazard - опасность для здоровья

hit - поразить

hostility - враждебность

implant - имплантант

jeopardy - опасность

lace - подливать

magnify - увеличивать

market share - доля на рынке

misconstrue - неправильно истолковать

occur - происходить, случаться

ordeal - испытание

outbreak - вспышка

perceive - почувствовать, ощутить

recall - отозвать

safety - безопасность

sampling - выборка

shrink - уменьшаться

tamper - нарочно тайком портить trace – проследить

Exercises

1) Find the English equivalents in the text. Make up sentences of your own with them:

ремонтные работы; двухлетний ребенок; созвать пресс-конференцию; полки магазинов; что-то необычное; группа активистов, выступающая в защиту окру­жающей среды; показать по телевидению; частое использование; обстоятель­ства; за одну ночь.

2) Find the words in the text which describe or mean the following:

not willing to answer questions directly; a very bad or frightening experience; the sudden appearance or start of war, fighting, or serious disease; to become smaller in amount, size, or value; to trick a person or organization in order to get money from them; a very bad or dangerous situation that might get worse, especially in politics or economics; something that may be dangerous or cause accidents, problems etc.; someone who helps and supports you in difficult situations.

3) Translate the following expressions into Russian. Use them in sentences of your own:

before a crisis hits, miss opportunities, keep in mind, no matter what the circumstances are, is featured on TV, when something out of the ordinary occurs, gets national exposure.

4) Translate the following sentences into Russian:

Police revealed that the telephone line had been tampered with.

The killings could put the whole peace process in jeopardy.

The hostages described their terrifying six-week ordeal.

He wanted to ensure success against his political adversaries.

Her husband was charged with her murder.

Profits have been shrinking over the last year.

Thousands of lives are at stake if a war is not avoided.

He was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the government.

Polluted water sources are a hazard to wild life.

The auto industry has many allies in Congress.

5) Match the words which are close in their meaning:

barely	cooperative
helpful	elusive
shrink	cheat
evasive	hardly
defraud	diminish

6) Match the words which are opposite in their meaning:

ally	play down
magnify	expand
evasive	profusely
barely	forthright
shrink	antagonist

7) Complete the following sentences (survival; a lawsuit; fuels; hits; crises; charged):

Get to know the journalists in your area before a crisis ___________. "No comment" ___________ hostility. He files __________. Economic _____________ is at stake. These situations constitute major ____________. Sears is ____________ by consumer agencies.

8) Make up ten questions to the text.

9) Can you explain the following:

"No comment" fuels hostility.

During such times of crisis, the media can be adversaries or allies.

A good working relationship with the media is severely tested in times of crisis.

10) Develop in writing the following statement. Use about 120 words.

Communication during a crisis requires cooperating with the media and promptly providing honest, factual information even if it is unflattering.

11) Render the following item in English:

Иногда внезапно происходят инциденты, которые никто не мог предусмо­треть. Примером может служить случай с «Тайленолом», происшедший в США в 1982 году, когда кто-то добавил цианистый калий в это популярное средство от головной боли, что послужило причиной смерти нескольких чело­век. К недавним потрясениям относится возврат из торговли консервирован­ного детского питания из-за преступного нарушения технологии. Другие при­меры можно привести из области фармацевтической промышленности, где ле­карства часто имеют опасные неожиданные побочные эффекты.

Большая часть нашей работы в качестве специалистов по паблик рилейшнз предсказуема и может заранее планироваться соответствующим образом. Свя­зи с общественностью в кризисной ситуации - явление довольно редкое, и большинство из нас с такими ситуациями вообще не встретится никогда, но если вы работаете в потенциально опасной области, где это может случиться, вам необходимо иметь план на случай такой опасности.

Приоритеты, которые следует включить в кризисный план, будут зависеть от вашей уязвимости, но все компании должны уделить внимание этому во­просу, застраховав себя от крупных неприятностей в будущем.

12) Prepare the topic Crisis communication for retelling.

UNIT X

MEDIA RELATIONS IN TIMES OF CRISIS

The key to successful dealings with the media during a crisis is to become a credible source of information. The following can be suggested:

Appoint a spokesperson whom the media can trust and who has authority to spe­ak for the company. It also is a good idea to designate one central spokesperson so that the organization speaks with one voice.

Set up a central media information center where reporters can obtain updated in­formation and work on stories. You should provide telephone lines, modular jacks so that reporters using computers can reach their offices, and facsimile machines. Provi­de food and transportation if necessary.

Provide a constant flow of information, even if the situation is unchanged or ne­gative. A company builds credibility by addressing bad news quickly; when informati­on is withheld, the cover-up becomes the story.

Be accessible by providing after-hours phone numbers or carrying a cellular phone with you at all times. Keep a log of media calls, and return calls as promptly as possible. A log can help you track issues being raised by reporters and give you a record of which media showed the most interest in your story.

Be honest. Don't exaggerate, and don't obscure facts. If you're not sure of so­mething or don't have the answer to a question, say so. If you are not at liberty to pro­vide information, explain why.

These guidelines reflect plain common sense, but when a crisis hits, it is surprising how many organizations go into a defensive mode and try to stonewall the media. Dow-Corning, for example, got considerable negative coverage by treating the media as an enemy. Corporate spokespeople accused the media of reporting only the "sensationalistic, anecdotal side of the breast implant story which has unnecessarily frightened women across the country". At a news conference, the head of Dow's healthcare business continued the attack by telling the assembled reporters that they took "memos out off text and distorted reality". It would be an understatement to say that this is a poor way to get the press on your side.

Jack-In-The-Box also violated the tenets of crisis communications. The company initially said "no comment" and waited three days to hold a news conference, at which the company president tried to shift the blame to the meatpacking company.

There are two principles: accept responsibility and take action. Even if you are not directly at fault, the organization should take responsibility for its product. Johnson & Johnson did this with Tylenol, but Dow-Corning chose to defend its product even after evidence had mounted that the company knew the product had a history of causing medical problems. Experts also say that Jack-In-The-Box fumbled on by not showing concern for the poisoned customers. The company would have won more public goodwill and favorable press coverage by more quickly offering to pay all medical bills, which it eventually did.

Two considerations can be emphasized in the crisis management plan. Demonstrate your commitment to good corporate citizenship by taking prompt and decisive actions to control problems in your operations. Communicate swiftly, constantly, and consistently to all appropriate audiences in clear, straightforward, and nontechnical language.

Vocabulary:

after hours - после рабочего дня

be at fault - быть виновным

be at liberty to do smth.- иметь возможность (право) сделать ч.-л.

common sense - здравый смысл

cover-up - попытка скрыть ч.-л.

credible - надежный

designate - назначить

exaggerate -преувеличивать

eventually - в конце концов

evidence - доказательство

flow of information - поток информации

fumble on - портить дело

go into a defensive mode -занять оборонительную позицию

have authority - иметь полномочия

hold a news conference - провести пресс-конференцию

initially - первоначально

log -журнал записей

memos - зд. замечания

modular jacks - блоки подключения

mount - возрастать, повышаться

obscure - скрывать

obtain - получить, добыть

set up - создать, организовать

shift the blame to smb. - переложить вину на к.-л.

show concern - проявить озабоченность

stonewall - отмалчиваться

straightforward - откровенный

tenet -принцип, доктрина

understatement - преуменьшение

updated - обновленный

win smb.'s goodwill - добиться ч.-л. расположения

withhold information - придерживать информацию

Exercises

1) Find the English equivalents in the text. Use them in sentences of your own:

оплатить счета; подчеркивать; искажать действительность; привлечь прессу на свою сторону; освещение в прессе; пищевое отравление; клиенты; выступать от имени компании; вопросы, поднимаемые журналистами; обычный здравый смысл; обращаться с к.-л. как с врагом.

2) Find the words in the text which describe or mean the following:

an attempt to prevent the public from discovering the truth about smth.; an official written record of smth.; to choose someone or smth. for a particular job purpose; to refuse to give facts, evidence etc.; a statement that is not strong enough to express how good, bad, impressive etc. something really is; after a long time, especially after a long delay or a lot of problems; to be responsible for something bad that has happened; to have the right or permission to do smth.

3) Translate the following word-combinations into Russian. Use them in sentences your own:

credible
to obtain
updated	information
to withhold
flow of

4) Translate the following sentences into Russian:

The report confirms that he withheld important evidence.

To say I was surprised would be an understatement.

Eventually the sky cleared up and we went to the beach.

The accident report found both drivers at fault.

We are not at liberty to discuss it.

5) Match the words which are close in their meaning:

evidence	conceal
eventually	honest
accessible	proof
obscure	after all
straightforward	available

6) Match the words having the opposite meaning:

favorable	fraudulent
obscure	insignificant
honest	doubtful
considerable	expose
sure	derogatory

7) Insert prepositions (to; for; on; at):

to demonstrate commitment ___ smth., to get the press ___ one's side, to be ___ fault, to show concern ___ smb., the key ___ smth., to speak ___ the company, to be ___ liberty to do smth.

8) Can you explain the following:

When a crisis hits, it is surprising how many organizations go into a defensive mode and try to stonewall the media.

When information is withheld, the cover-up becomes the story.

9) Sum up the main idea of the text. Write down only one sentence.

10) Render the following in English:

Иногда возникают катастрофические ситуации, требующие немедленных и эффективных действий, подобных применению пожарной машины или спаса­тельной шлюпки при сигнале SOS. Этот тип деятельности паблик рилейшнз называется «экстремальные связи с общественностью» или «кризисное упра­вление». Такие ситуации могут возникнуть в результате катастроф, подобных случившейся в Чернобыле. Другие проблемы могут возникнуть вследствие на­сильственного поглощения компании или финансового краха.

Успешное кризисное управление зависит от трех ключевых элементов: согласованная политика компании по управлению в экстремальной си­туации, проверенные средства связи, приспособления и оборудование, ключевой персонал, прошедший подготовку, необходимую для принятия немедленных мер в случае серьезной аварии. Его представители будут высту­пать от имени компании на пресс-конференциях, телевидении или говорить по телефону.

В кризисной ситуации важными факторами являются немедленная реакция, обеспечение средств массовой информации точными сведениями, наличие всей технической информации, любые возможные действия в интересах пострадавших и их родственников.

11) Prepare the topic Media relations in times of crises for retelling.