July 2013: The Worst Video Media Disaster

By Ray Huntzinger



Reference:

Phillips, B. (2013, July 31). July 2013: The worst video media
disaster. Mr. Media Training. Retrieved on November 14, 2013, from
www.mrmediatraining.com/2013/07/31/july-2013-the-worst-video-media-disaster/

Theme:

The theme of this article was an evaluation of a press conference that
in the opinion of the author went horribly wrong. The press conference
was in relation to the tragic train accident that occurred in
Lac-Megantic, Canada. The incident was Canada's deadliest in almost
150 years, killing more than 40 people and destroying the downtown
area of Lac-Megantic.

Summary:

--The press conference was hosted by Edward Burkhardt, the chairman of
the affected railroad, who seemed to make matter worse throughout the
conference.

--Mr. Burkhardt's first mistake was that he spoke mostly about he felt
rather than extending condolences to those families affected by the
tragedy.

--He failed to show up to the incident until several days afterwards
which did not give the town the impression that he had compassion for
those affected. Furthermore, he hadn't even met with those affected
before the press conference.

--Mr. Burkhardt talked business with the media, including information
on the railways insurance, bankruptcy plans, and legal issues which
were inappropriate for the time; he should have focused on the
families and communities affected.

--He showed little respect for the community and felt he should have
gotten a warmer reception, even though he was several days late.

--He looked like a jerk by coming across with an arrogant demeanor to
both the media and the community.

Application to the lesson topic:

This article provides excellent information on what not to do during a
press conference following a disaster. The article included the actual
press conference that is exactly the opposite of those positive
examples that are included in the class reading/videos. It is
sometimes helpful to learn what not to do to emphasize the positive
behaviors that are emphasized in the lesson.

Application to emergency services:

The article and associated press conference provide great information
for any representative responsible for planning and executing a
productive press conference. Based on the press conference and the
author's assessment, it is obvious that very little planning went into
this press conference. In addition, the speaker, Mr. Burkhardt, seems
to be either uncaring or highly ineffective in providing the press and
public with appropriate information an

reading summary #10

Reference:

O'Brien, T. (2004). Renovating "This Old Press Conference". Public Relations Tactics, 11(12), 15.

Theme: Only hold a press conference when the story is likely to generate a good deal of media interest. Hold the press conference as a convenience for both the client and media.

Summary:

• Don't call it a press conference – Call it a press briefing, or reception or media tour
• Don't conduct your event in a traditional corporate setting – Have the conference in the public or at the setting of the story
• Manage expectations – Sometimes a press conference is set up before the IPO is notified. As the IPO work to make sure the press conference is successful and informative.
• Think visually – Consider dress of those involved and how the setting of the press conference will look. These will impact how the information is received.
• Never guarantee coverage – Don't make promises to any reporter for additional or 'inside' coverage.
• When all else fails, keep your head up-Understanding that you can't control the media will make it slightly easier to maintain your cool when unexpected challenges present themselves in the final minutes before your event

Application to the lesson topic: A press conference can go very good or very bad, preparation and being educated about the press conference topic by the IPO makes all the difference.

Application to Emergency Services: A press conference dealing with any emergency service needs to be thought out and well prepared for. Thinking through some of these suggestions helps insure a successful, informative press conference.

Journalist Aggresiveness in Joint Versus Solo Presidential Press Conferences

 Joseph Galbraith

Lesson 10 Reading Summary

Reference: Banning, S. A., & Billingsley, S. (2007). Journalist Aggressiveness in Joint Versus Solo Presidential Press Conferences. Mass Communication & Society, 10(4), 461-478.

 Theme: Presidential press conferences use techniques to avoid adversarial questions by the news media while remaining engaged with the public.

 Summary:

• Since George H. Bush, presidents have avoided solo news conferences more and more.  They have found that these types of press conferences lead to adversarial attitudes by the media.

• Conducting interviews with other dignitaries and officials provides a setting in which the policies of the president are questioned less than if he were alone.

• George W Bush only conducted 15 solo press conferences during his 8 years as president.  He also held conferences with little notice and during times where the press was less prepared to ask hard questions.

• Since the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower the study shows that questioning by reporters has become increasingly more aggressive.

• This study showed that follow up questions correlate to a more aggressive line of questioning.  A 20% increase in follow up questions was noted in solo conferences as opposed to joint.

• The study also showed a 45% increase in hostility from reporters during solo conferences.

 

Application to the lesson topic:

Press Conferences can be very useful and can give a lot of information.  They can also play a large role in politics and the attitude of the public.

 

Application to emergency services:

As emergency managers it is doubtful that we will face the same scrutiny as the president of the United States of America.  We still must realize that reporters have their own agenda at times and we must take control of the press conference by setting our departments up for success.  We are representing our organization.  Any mistakes we make will be reflected on them.

10- Randy Rask- Crisis Communication and the New York Anthrax Attacks

Randy Rask

Reference:  Mullin, Sandra (2003)  Journal of Health Communication; Jul2003 Supplement 1, Vol. 8, p15, 2p

Theme:  How certain communication strategies helped the public during the anthrax attacks in New York City in 2001.  Mayor Giuliani displays great communication skills during these attacks and his template is now used for crisis communications. 

Summary: 

-          In 2001, a man by the name of Bob Stevens who lived in New York City had been diagnosed with anthrax. 

-          A panic started to form around the city of New York.  This is when Mayor Rudy Giuliani held a press conference on the matter.  Mayor Giuliani was known around this time for displaying great communication skills during the 9/11 attacks only a month earlier.  He had been holding a very large amount of press conferences during this time about relief efforts. 

-          Mayor Giuliani is described as someone who displays empathy and mastery over information during press conferences. 

-          These skills helped him to report information during the anthrax scares.  Press conferences would be key during the anthrax response. 

-          Many troubles came about from these anthrax scares including unclear messages for the public, anxiety, and "sealed-envelope" information.  By having good crisis communication skills and previous crisis communication experience, Mayor Giuliani helped the public receive accurate and timely information on the issue.

 

Application to Lesson Topic:

                Press conferences can be a game changer during a crisis.  By displaying proper media communication skills during a disaster, you are able to keep the public informed, keep misinformation at bay, and get the public on your side.  By doing this, relief efforts will prove to be more efficient.  Mayor Giuliani displays good crisis communication skills during 9/11 and the anthrax scares a month later.  By having these skills, the public was well informed the panic was mitigated.  Without these skills, the situation could have possibly spiraled out of control much worse than they did.

Application to Emergency Services:

In the emergency service field, we are often required to participate in press conferences so that the media has something to report during a disaster.  Crisis communication skills are very important to possess when participating in these press conferences.  By following Mayor Giuliani's template for crisis communication, we will be able to more effectively speak to the media. 

Lesson 10 Summary Press Conference

James Delli Gatti

Power and affiliation in presidential press conferences: A study on interruptions, jokes and laughter

Reference: Ekström, M. (2009). Power and affiliation in presidential press conferences: A study on interruptions, jokes and laughter. Journal Of Language & Politics, 8(3), 386-415. doi:10.1075/jlp.8.3.03eks

Theme: Press Conference

Summary: This Journal article is about politicians and their relationship with the media during press conferences. This article goes on to state that press conferences are the venue where politicians are interrogated by the press and where they are held accountable to the public;

"the press conference is one of the central arenas for meetings between journalists and leading politicians. It's an enduring and legitimate form for public interrogations and political accountability, broadcasted live and extensively reported in the news media."(Ekstrom,2009)

This is an important aspect of American culture that is necessary in keeping our government accountable to the people that they serve and represent.

This article discusses the use of interruptions and humor by political figures in order to control the press conference. The use of interruptions is used to pause the news media reporter and it also suggested that this tactic was used to assert dominance over the news reporter; when the reports actions appear to be in opposition to or in disagreement with the politician.

Humor on the other hand is used during press conferences in order to mitigate an error to a statement, to handle nervousness during the press conference, and to face a perceived threat. In an attempt to control the stressful environment that is very prevalent during press conferences interruptions and humor are used by politicians as a means to handle the many difficult questions that reporters can present for them to answer in their difficult task of keeping politicians honest and accountable for their actions to the American people.

Application to the lesson topic: Press conferences are used for many different reasons, by many different people and organizations, and to disseminate a myriad of information. It is important that press conferences are organized and that the information that you want disseminated is disseminated. It is also important that you exhibit control of the press conference with any means possible.

Application to emergency services: During an emergency press conference it is important that you control the press conference by any means available. Interruptions and humor are two strategies that you can utilize in order to achieve this goal.

Ekström, M. (2009). Power and affiliation in presidential press conferences: A study on interruptions, jokes and laughter. Journal Of Language & Politics, 8(3), 386-415. doi:10.1075/jlp.8.3.03eks

10 - Tips For Better Press Briefings - Michael Newland

 Michael Newland

Reference:

Strenski, J. B., & APR. (n.d.). Tips For Better Press Briefings. Public Relations Quarterly. Fall76, Vol.21 Issue 3, pp. 28-29.

Theme: Tips to creating a better press conference.

Summary:

·         Consider your news announcement; evaluate the publication through which you’d like to tell your story. Learn about their editorial content and what they treat as news.

·         Make sure your news fits the publication before you waste the editor’s time.

·         If you’re trying to get across a point of view or establish a personality, instead of a press briefing, consider one-on-one interviews.

·         If your goal is to communicate a concept or an idea, perhaps your approach is a press seminar or forum which involves editors with expertise in the area of  your subject matter.

·         If you have a product development that you feel should attract more than the usual news release attention but isn’t newsworthy enough for a full-fledged press conference, consider a press conference by mail.

·         If you still feel you have news that warrants a press conference or a press briefing, plan it carefully.

·         In developing the details for a press conference, certain buzz words can be used as reminders of the techniques that help make for a success.

·         1. Pique the curiosity of the press in your invitation. 2. Remind the editors of your event, again, before it happens. 3. Service the editor’s needs with complete background material, appropriate illustrations, orientation of client spokesmen to editorial needs. 4. Follow-up the briefing with appropriate photographs and any other material editors may want.

Application to the Lesson Topic:

This week’s lesson topic is press conferences. It is important to understand how press conferences work in order to create the best image for yourself and your agency.

Application to Emergency Services:

When disaster strikes press conferences are extremely important. They are a great way to get out important information to the media and to the public. It is important for emergency responders to know how to do a good press conference because at one point they may find themselves having to do one.

10- Ashley Burningham- Press conference revamp

Press Conference Revamp

Reference:

O'Brien, T. (2004). Renovating "This Old Press Conference". Public Relations Tactics, 11(12), 15.

Theme:

Press conferences are a useful tool in information sharing. You need to revamp the way you do press conferences in order to regain attention.  

Summary:

- PR disasters produce how-to and how-not-to articles. 

- O' Brien was waiting for media to arrive at a press conference. 

- Federal employee was supposed to give his client more than $2 million to create jobs. 

- At the same time, murderer was being arraigned down the street. 

- This eliminated tv coverage for O'Brien's event. 

- The key to television coverage is location and timing. 

- Only hold a press conference when the story is likely to generate media interest. 

- If so, hold it at convenience and efficiency for client and media. 

- Old fashioned press conferences are becoming less common. 

- Understand that you can't control the media. 

- Cover the myriad of details and make media contacts. 

TIPS:

- Don't call it a press conference (boring). Call if a briefing, opportunity, etc. 

- Don't conduct in normal business setting. 

- Manage expectations. 

- Think visually. 

- Never guarantee coverage. 

- When all else fails, keep your head up. 

Application to lesson:

This weeks lesson was about disaster press conferences. While this article didn't focus on a disaster press conference, it gave some important tips that are applicable for a disaster press conference like only hold a press conference if necessary, work at convenience for client and media, and revamp your press conferences. 

Application to career:

While this article focused on a press release for a company, the meaning is applicable to public safety. You can't control the media. What you can do is make your best effort at getting your work done. The idea of revamping a press conference is also applicable for public safety, and many have done this through the use of social media.