In dealing with today’s media, it’s important to begin with a basic fact—like you and me, most reporters are merely trying to make a living. They are neither overly hostile nor overly friendly, and they don’t necessarily care what you say as long as it’s interesting to their readers, listeners, or viewers.

Still, it’s also important to keep in mind the wise and timeless words of playwright George Bernard Shaw when working with the press in this day and age: “A journalist is someone who cannot make the distinction between a bicycle accident and the end of civilization.”

Having said that, let’s talk about some effective communication principles that can assist you in managing the media in good times and in bad. The first thing to remember is that all public relations activities relate to one critical concept: reputation and its management.

Reputation Is Credible
Reputation reflects the perceptions and expectations others have of you and your business. It also reflects how you perceive and project yourself to others. It can determine whether key constituents establish and maintain relationships with you or turn instead to the competition.

Reputation management is a systematic approach that synchronizes the expectations of critical audiences with a company’s position, performance, and behavior. Such management is essential to capturing market share, achieving business goals, and generally winning favorable public support.

A trustworthy reputation gives you credibility, which can make the difference between success and failure for your company, especially when it comes to achieving public relations objectives.

Getting Good PR
The benefits of achieving your public relations objectives are numerous: Good PR helps establish your identity, helps you get noticed, adds to and reinforces your credibility, enhances your role in the community, and takes charge during a crisis.

To go about obtaining these wonderful benefits there are three overall points with which to start. First, regardless of how friendly a reporter may be or when/where a conversation takes place, always remember that members of the media are never off duty. If you utter something newsworthy, no matter how well you know the reporter, your comments are fair game to be quoted. If the comment is unflattering, inflammatory, or just plain stupid, you will more than likely regret the outcome.

A second overall key is sticking to your MAPs—Must Air Points. These are the three or four messages that you must get across when on the air or quoted in print. No matter how the question is phrased, your job is to keep returning to your MAPs to ensure that they make the story and paint a flattering picture.

A final basic point to remember is that an interview is not an intellectual discussion; in fact, it is just the opposite. A reporter doesn’t care about you or your answers. His or her job is to get a story—the juicier and more controversial, the better. By the same token, your job is not to make friends with the reporter but rather to deliver key messages that help your organization’s objectives.

With these three overall keys in mind, the best approach to hammering home your MAPs and gaining good PR is to deliver answers using these five principles:

• Answer directly and honestly.
• Be strong, positive, and committed in your response.
• Cite evidence, facts, and proof.
• Cite benefits.
• End on a punchy, positive, memorable note.
  

Crisis Communications
Dealing with the media in times of crisis can be very trying indeed, but the most crucial aspect is to articulate all of your points.

First, research quickly to gather as many facts as you can so you don’t inadvertently blurt out things you are uncertain about, and then release the appropriate information as soon as you can to explain what you’ve learned from your fact gathering and what you plan to do in response. Second, get that information on your web site, as the Internet is increasingly becoming the world’s most direct and immediate communications vehicle. Third, make the appropriate-level official, equipped with MAPs and key facts, available as soon as possible. Fourth, express natural shock and sadness if the situation calls for it; the public will expect, and in fact demand, such empathy.

A good reputation and the credibility that comes with it can take years to build but can evaporate in an instant. Never forget that these two qualities are the most valuable commodities that you and your organization possess.