To:  Greetings!  
June 2012
(Issued quarterly)
Austin, Texas
  Helpful tips and information from  
  Don Martin Public Affairs 
   Issues Management, Communications Strategy, Messaging, Media Relations, Crisis 
    Management, Government Affairs, Litigation Support

   Please forgive us if you happen to receive this newsletter twice.
 
 
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Don Martin Public Affairs
 
901 Rio Grande 
Suite 203
Austin, TX  78701 
 
Phone: 
512-328-2900
 
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Need help telling your story?
Let's Talk. 

As a well-seasoned public affairs/ public relations professional, Don Martin brings a practical, effective approach to helping clients get their stories heard, understood and remembered.  Whether you need a full-fledged communications campaign, a news release, crisis communications, or just another opinion captured over the phone, we can help.  Depending on your needs and the size of your project, billing is available on a monthly retainer basis, by the hour or by the project.  Want to talk over a problem? 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Editor's Note]  I was previously asked "what do you do when the press learns you're being sued, sometimes even before you learn it? When allegations by plaintiffs are being listed in the newspaper or on TV, your employees and customers are all calling you, and your lawyer may not have had a chance to even read the complaint?"  That resulted in creation of this list. 
 
Trial by Media --  Do's and Don'ts:
 
 
DON'T make the media your primary means of communicating on pending or current litigation in progress.  Journalists are not a reliable means of ensuring that your key audiences receive your entire messages, nor is it a reporter's job to make sure everything you think is important gets in the story.

DO communicate directly with your important audiences, both internally and externally, to ensure they have the information you want them to have. Email is a great way to communicate quickly and efficiently with your various audiences.

DO consider the option of quickly informing certain key audiences (board of directors, investors, bankers, etc.) of the probability of upcoming media coverage before it actually appears in the press.

DO remember that employees are a critical audience -- all employees are PR representatives for the organization whether you want them to be or not.  Educate them about what is happening, why, and give them your response. 

DO integrate legal and PR strategy together.  Your key goal is to minimize damage that could occur to your organization in the short-term, even if you win the legal case in the long-term. 
 
DO communicate proactively.  On-going negative PR can often be worse for the long term reputation of the company than the actual lawsuit.   Be proactive, take responsibility to communicate, and be transparent and open to the press.
 
Don't be forced by your attorney into saying nothing.  The  company itself could be irreparably damaged or even lost by stonewalling and saying "no comment".   "No comment" implies you are guilty. You don't have to give away valuable information, but being open and transparent goes a long way in establishing your good reputation both with the key reporter(s) as well as your key audiences, and the general public.

DON'T say "no comment" even if you haven't had a chance to review the case.  Instead say "I'd very much like to comment on this as soon as I've read what's been filed." 
 
DO tell journalists that you want to respect their deadlines, but would appreciate their respecting your need to have the information you need to make an intelligent response.

DON'T attack the media.  Ever.  Neither directly, nor in
communication with your other audiences, because it will get back to them. The media can hurt you more than you can hurt them.

DON'T complain to a higher authority at the news media about a reporter, instead work diligently to get the story reported correctly.  Most reporters genuinely want to get it right. A PR consultant who works with the local media can help a great deal in this regard working as a "third party" between you and the reporter or editor.
 
DON'T judge the impact of media coverage by the sensationalism of headlines or length of news coverage.  Ask your important audiences, internal and external, how THEY are reacting to the coverage -- in some cases, you'll find they don't believe it!

DO consider becoming your own publisher, using the Internet to post your perspective on issues of public concern -- if the general public is, in fact, an important audience for you.   Add a temporary special page and notice to your main web page, or create a new one just for this information.  Address rumors, and provide a Q&A or fact sheet. 
 
DO establish both internal and external rumor control systems to short-circuit rumors early on, before they run rampant and do a lot of damage.   This is especially important to do internally, inside your own organization.  Sincerely invite employees to forward to report rumors they hear, and then answer them in a clear and forthright manner.  And/or add the answers to your web site.   Bringing false rumors to the light of day helps kill them quickly.

 
Excerpted in part from Crisis Management Newsletter
by Jonathan Bernstein, copyright by Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. 
  


Don Martin Public Affairs:  Issues Management, Communications Strategy, Messaging, Media Relations, Crisis Management, Government Affairs, Litigation Support.