PR: Go on the offensive: Managing tough news in tough times - Sacramento Business Journal:

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drops off Nasdaq. In a turbulent economy, there is no shortage of bad Experts say that in a timelike this, what may mattet most is the way in which that bad news is How management deals with the media, employees, clientxs and the community could impact how the business is viewedr for years to come. Business leaderss who hide in their offices, bury factd and let the rumor mill control the stort will be viewed with angerand distrust. But thosw who plan their messages carefully, and deliver it promptlhy and with candor to allrelevantf parties, are more likely to be rememberedf as good corporate citizens.
“The spotlighr will be on your company,” said Dan a business consultant and presidentof Next-Act, an Albanyy career management firm. “Yoj have one chance to get it Many public relations professionals advise clients to have a crisis communicatio plan in place atall times. This way, basixc guidelines are in place when any sort of bad from layoffs to achemical spill, breaks. Additional preparatiomn should take place once a bad newseveng occurs. The first step is to assessd the situation and thepossible fallout.
“uI advise that you convene a groupof stakeholders,” said Pauline president of Waterford-based “You need someoner from top management, human resources, the PR team ... the object is for everyone to put their cards on the face up, so you can identify any gaps in information.” list every constituency, including clients, suppliersa and the media, and craft a message for each. Whilew these messages must be consistent, each audiencee has different needs. Employees will want to know about their futures, while shareholders will be interester in the impact on the bottom line. Clients will want to know if serviced willbe affected.
It is also PR experts say, to select just one persobn to speak forthe “You don’t want 20 different versionss of things coming out so everyone looks like said Richard Berman, president of of Chappaqua in Westchester Once the situation is the constituents identified, the messages and the spokesperson chosen, it is time to delivet the news. “It comes down to three Tell it all, tell it early, tell it yourself.” said Edward Parham, director of public relations forin Ideally, the news should be shared with all partiesa at the same time.
In the age of texting and “news can travel at the speed of an saidMatthew Maguire, spokesman for in “You want to deliver your news before anyonwe else can.” Bartel suggests giving “a few selecty reporters” a heads-up that news is coming. “That way, the reporterf has gotten the company line before a disgruntlef employee picks upthe phone,” she said. When the news is it must be completeand truthful, with as many details as can be It is especially important that the CEO or other designatefd spokesperson be available and responsive.
“There is no such thingh as not taking the call and having the papeer the next day sayyou weren’tt available,” said Dean CEO of Rueckert Advertising. “That is not And a good answer isnever ‘no comment.’ Back it up with the reaso n you can’t comment—confidentiality, legalities, what have you. You don’r want to look like you are dodging the questionb orhiding something.” This candor extendds to employees.
Moran said that when he works with companiexsin bad-news situations, he institutes a “npo closed door for three days” rule on top