Communicating with the News Media
One of the mistakes many managers make is to assume the media are the enemy and out to discredit the organization when a crisis occurs.This is not always the case，as the media can be beneficial by enabling the company to reach important audiences.Members of the news media are more likely to misrepresent a situation when they lack the facts.The result depends on what the organization does or says in the first few hours following the crisis.The essential rule is to cooperate with the media and understand that journalists are trained to be inquisitive.Updating them periodically provides them the means to keep the media informed so they in turn，can keep the public informed.When developing the media message，the organizational spokesperson should be trained to deliver the message in a consistent fashion.In some instances，detractors—and perhaps competitors—will find“experts”who can demonstrate blame against the company.Organizations should be prepared to confront these claims.Crisis communication preparedness includes utilizing publicly recognizable third-party experts who are capable of addressing the media to support the organization's position and endorse its response to the crisis.
In order to ensure that the news media obtain a consistent message from a responsible spokesperson，news conferences should be held.News conferences need to be arranged and managed by those experienced in press relations.
One phrase that should be avoided when addressing the media is“no comment”.The crisis communication literature is consistent in making this recommendation for several reasons.First，“no comment”implies that the company is hiding something.Members of the media，as well as the general public，are skeptical when they hear this statement.There are certainly some situations where certain information cannot be divulged initially.For example，there may be ongoing criminal investigation and revealing details of the inquiry may damage the case.Also，the identity of employee victims of a workplace accident resulting in injury or fatality will be withheld until the next of kin are notified.Under these circumstances，the spokesperson must inform the media that some information must be withheld until it is authorized for release.
A second reason“no comment”should not be used is that it shows a lack of concern on the part of the organization.Such a terse comment is a sure sign of disrespect to victims and to the media.Third，a“no comment”response means the media must obtain their information from some other source.When this happens，the company loses control of the information flow.In many cases，the media will then find sources among stakeholders who may already have an unfavorable view of the organization.[2]
Poor communications and public relations can significantly worsen the impact of or public perception of a crisis and how it is being managed.For example after the United States space shuttle Challenger explosion in 1986，the National Aeronautics and Space Administration delayed contact with the media for some time while they went in search of details.When they finally made a presentation on air，all they did was repeat what millions of viewers had already seen.This was the first of several public relations blunders in the ensuing crisis.In order to manage this communications process well，Drennan and McConnell outline a number of communication pathologies to avoid:[3]
●the impression of a slow or ineffective response(https://www.daowen.com)
●the impression of having something to hide，i.e.the“no comment”trap
●accidentally or purposefully giving out false information
●inconsistent messages from different actors or layers of government
●rush to judgement
●expressing lack of sympathy