Your organisation has just made huge job cuts and the media wants to talk to HR. But are you ready to face the press? Heather Beresford looks at some of the issues and provides some tips for HR professionals under pressure
When a national newspaper journalist rings your direct line and asks you to justify the latest job losses; or a TV crew fills the reception, asking what you have to say to angry staff whose call centre is closing; will you know how to handle interviews to help minimise negative publicity?
The questions are terrifying if you haven’t got an answer. But when crisis strikes, the worst thing you can say to a hungry news journalist is ‘no comment’ - it just makes your organisation look guilty. On the other hand, fluffing a media interview by saying too much or contradicting the company line can be just as damaging.
Handling skilful journalists is a concern for anyone in a media-facing role, but HR people in particular are being forced to learn fast. Journalists are keen to sidestep polished comments from a press office to interview the HR person directly, who can provide knowledge, detail and emotion. But the media is also interested in controversial and emotive HR stories, such as job losses or employment tribunals.
Growing concern
“At some time, most of us will be expected to represent our company in the media. And yet we are given very little training about how to do this effectively,” says Blaire Palmer, managing director of UK-based Optimum Coaching.
“Journalists’ reputation for catching people out is well known. If experienced politicians can say the wrong thing and find themselves justifying their comments on the front page, why not HR people?” Palmer questions.
“Delegates experience gruelling press interviews on our courses, which can be nerve-wracking, but it means they make mistakes in a safe environment and are well prepared for skilled, tough questioning when it happens for real.”
Preparing for contact with the media and handling interviews skilfully will assist in minimising negative publicity by putting stories in the correct context, and promoting employers in a positive light, she adds.
Prepare key messages
Before an interview, prepare the crucial information you want to work into your answers. These might include positive reasons for closing a business site or details of the extensive support you are providing to help staff find new work.
“Most organisations have press officers who will brief you on the company line and help you research the subject in full,” says Palmer. “With their help, you can prepare up to three key points or sound bites and anticipate the worst possible questions.”
Look for a hidden twist
It’s easy to get caught out by seemingly harmless stories if you don’t find out what sort of publication or show you are being approached by, and what point the piece is trying to make.
“Research is paramount,” says Palmer. “You might be asked to appear on a radio chat show for a friendly discussion about counselling services. But do you know if the program is fundamentally in favour of such services, or is the producer trying to prove they are a waste of time and that companies like yours are wasting stakeholders’ money? Imagine everything you say used out of context and edit your comments accordingly.”
Keep cool
You can come across as calm and authoritative by breathing deeply, relaxing your shoulders and speaking clearly and slowly, in short sentences. Concise, knowledgeable comments are more likely to be included in a report than rambling, inconclusive answers, so say your key messages and stop talking. Keep your answers simple; journalists are looking for black-and-white. They might try to wind you up with silly questions, but don’t take the bait.
All this advice can sound daunting to the novice, but handling the media isn’t always about out-thinking hungry news journalists who are determined to make your company look heartless. Journalists write positive copy too.
“It’s not all about minimising negative coverage,” says Palmer. “If you choose interviews carefully and make knowledgeable, concise and interesting points, you can capitalise on a situation, maximising positive coverage for you, your organisation and your industry.”
Understanding styles
You may be expected to do interviews with many different media outlets (such as print, radio, TV and websites), so it is helpful to understand the interview styles of different outlets and learn the terminology. What is a ‘donut’? When is an interview ‘as live’? When is a story hard news and when is it a feature?
Courtesy of Human Resources’ UK sister publication Personnel Today
