Most of us don’t have this problem. Most of us will probably never have this problem. It’s one of those low-frequency high impact events we can prep for and forget for most of the year. On the other hand, if you’re actively seeking publicity, particularly to support a cause or get a problem addressed, you’ll need to know how to survive a media blitz.
The best thing about media attention is that it is usually brief, lasting until the next breaking story. A few die-hard media reps may continue to hang around in case something new pops up, and it may last a lot longer if you keep feeding the media and it plays well on TV, the internet, and other media sources, but the good news is that a media blitz is just that - a blitz, hard-hitting but soon gone.
Whether you actively seek media attention or have it thrust upon you, there are some things you can do to make it easier on you and your family. It really doesn’t matter how you became the center of a media storm, the tips for making it through relatively intact remain the same.
If you seek media attention, your first step is to be utterly and completely prepared. Know your subject backwards and forwards. Write brief memory jogging notes and keep them with you at all times. A iPad or smartphone or whatever only works if you keep the batteries charged, I prefer paper, kept in one of those wallets with the credit card/photo sleeves in them – arrange your notes in those sleeves and they’ll always be handy.
If media attention is thrust upon you unexpectedly (a tragedy is usually the most common reason), you may not have time to prepare statements, so in those early encounters, be very brief, don’t hesitate to say “I don’t know”, and tell them you will organize a press conference. That last one will get the majority of them out of your face and you’ll have some breathing time. You must carry through with the press conference, or the media will hound you even worse.
From this point on, the tips are pretty much the same whether you sought attention or had it thrust upon you.
The most important thing you can do is stay with your message, which means you need to figure out what it is before you deal with the media. This is easier for those who seek attention. You generally know what you want attention for, so it’s easy to stay on track. For the surprise attention, you’ll have to figure out what the message needs to be and stick with it. If it's a tragedy, the grief and shock may cloud your judgement, so consulting with someone to help you is important. Your message might be "find the perpetrator" or it might me "find my missing child" or it might be "keep the batteries fresh in your smoke alarm" or any of a number of messages. You may need to hire a media advisor – they can be well worth it whether you seek attention or it seeks you.
Arrange a press conference. You can set one up anywhere, but I recommend using a place that allows you to leave without having to go through the reporters. Use a microphone, even one from a kid’s set or a boom box is better than nothing. You want them to hear you clearly. Have written documents to hand them – prepared press releases. This will keep them busy and may keep you from having to answer the same questions over and over. There are lots of sites on line that offer information on running a press conference and writing press releases – visit them and learn about them before you do anything.
Always tell the truth. You don’t have to tell the whole truth, there is such a thing as too much information, but what you say has to be 100% true. Lies will come back and bite you. Even inadvertent lies will hurt you. If you don’t know that it’s 100% true, don’t say anything.
Don’t speculate at all. The media will take speculation as fact and run with it, and then you’ll spend all your time refuting that and not presenting your message. Speculation will take on a life of its own and this is particularly true if it gets on the internet. The internet chatrooms and forums and social networking sites will do plenty of speculating for you. If confronted with a net rumor, be forthright and honest. Don’t say “I didn’t say that,” instead say “I said such-and-such” and if the reporter persists, ask where he got his information. Most of the time, they’ll have to admit it was a rumor and drop it.
If you don’t know an answer, don’t hesitate to say “I don’t know,” especially if the attention was thrust upon you and it's still soon after the triggering event. They won’t expect you to know everything, and most reporters will take an “I don’t know” with good grace. Of course, if you set yourself up as an expert, you should be prepared and the answer should be among your notes. If you can’t remember at the moment, be honest and say, “I’m blanking on that right now, may I get back with you?” Then take a note about the question and the person who asked so you can get back with them.
Never, ever go “off the record.” There is no such thing. There are cameras rolling, recorders going, and if the one reporter agrees to go “off the record”, the others surely won’t. If you are speaking in a venue where reporters are recording you, you can bet there will be some amateurs also there recording for their blogs and websites – and some of them pretend they don't know the meaning of “off the record.” Some less-than-ethical reporters will also pretend they didn't hear the "off the record" comment. In fact, it is from these thrill-seekers, which is what they are - they are seeking fame for themselves more than you and hope to use you to propel them to a Pulliam Prize or some other writing award and national recognition, that you will have the worst speculation and rumors and your words twisted if at all possible, which leads us to:
Keep your answers short, clear, and concise. There’s less room for mistakes, misquotes, and misunderstandings if you speak in short sentences with simple, unambiguous words. Long, rambling answers leave reporters trying to determine what your point was themselves, and they will almost always get it wrong.
Don’t let a reporter give you a statement and ask if you agree – this lets them put words in your mouth. If you agree, they will attribute the quote to you. It is a manipulative tactic the worst reporters will use in order to “spice up” their reporting and make themselves look good. You should never care if the reporter looks good. You are the one holding the press conference, you are the one at the center, and it is your life they are messing with. Don’t let them screw you up. It’s hard, but you can do it.
Be poised, be professional, and the media will treat you as such. Dress appropriately – and this doesn’t mean “men in black” formal. Jeans and T-shirt are appropriate attire of you’re promoting an event or a charity. Unless you’re advertising a performance of Medieval Wyld Men, be clean and tidy. Behave with courtesy and speak politely. Arguing, yelling, and going after the cameraman may play well on morning talk shows, but it only hurts your case.
Never disparage anyone else in a press release, during a press conference, or in talks with any media representative ever, at all. It rarely makes the other person look bad and it always makes you look bad. Just because our politicians haven’t learned that lesson doesn’t mean we can’t. Give the facts as fairly as you can. If you don’t have any facts, don’t offer any and don’t speculate.
If you must be thrust into a media storm, may you handle yourself like the US Airways crew after the Hudson River crash, and not like that California mother of all those babies. They held themselves with grace and courtesy, supported one another, praised the others and the passengers, and generally charmed the media. Now that their media storm is over, they will be able to return to their lives with minimal disruption.