It was a full house spilling into the hallway for the concurrent session that looked at media/communications – how do I market Local Government? Laurie Wilson, Director of the National Press Club and award winning journalist, told delegates that whether they have had bad dealings or not, there is a general feeling that the media is not to be trusted.
“But trust is the critical thing in working with media,” he said. “You should view the news media as a free conduit for getting your important messages out to the general public. But your life will be a hell of a lot easier if you use the media correctly.”
He told delegates that developing a workable relationship, so you can trust the journalist you are dealing with, is vital.
“Although not the only factor, but certainly one of the key factors in his success, Kevin Rudd cultured the news media, working hard to build his expertise and relationship with media,” Laurie Wilson said. “Get to know your local journalists. Find out what interests them and any help you are able to give them to ensure your good news stories are more likely to get a run.”
He said although the media will be more interested in negative rather than postive stories, if you have built up trust and a good relationship, when a negative story breaks you have a greater chance of getting your side heard.
Laurie Wilson provided a number of tips when dealing with the media, including:
- ‘no comment’ engenders mistrust and that you have something to hide
- in any mishap or tragedy remember people involved come first – acknowledge this right from the outset
- don’t over explain an issue – less is more when dealing with negatives – over explanation could indicate possible guilt
- avoid blame shifting or passing the buck. Until you know all the facts do not try to apportion blame.
“The more positive stories you get a run with the more credits you have in the bank, as well as public goodwill, that will to some extent offset the negative issues that arise,” Laurie Wilson said. “Be clear what your message is and avoid going off on a tangent. Simplify your message and be aware of any other issues the journalist might throw up and catch you on the hop. “Anticipate possible questions by using a checklist of who, what, when, where, why and how. Try to use neutral language when dealing with negatives, whereas with positive stories use the strongest language.”
