Out in California, the drought has made water efficiency a hot topic. It seems like every week, aging infrastructure fails and a water main pipe bursts in Los Angeles. Whether you’re a plant manager or water department executive; when the pipe bursts, you need to be ready.
After all, at some point, many water professionals and public officials will find themselves in the hot seat. And if you’re a public figure, that hot seat could be in front of a media firing squad. Are you prepared to answer the tough questions? Are you ready for the media’s tricks? Do you have a plan in hand to manage your reputation? You should.
In an upcoming webinar, industry expert Melanie Goetz shares her tips and tricks to survive any media crisis, including how to: assess the damage; create a communications and response plan; address, manage, AND leverage the press; and know when it’s time for full damage control.
In this webinar, Goetz starts by identifying the five different types of media crises (from witch hunts to emergencies), how to determine the level of your crisis, and what options you have once you’re thrust in the spotlight. We’ll address the importance of a communications and response plan and how to craft one with effective soundbites that answer the tough questions and emphasize your key messaging points.
Goetz will also present an in-depth look at the media and its tricks, including the eight toughest questions reporters ask and how you can spot (and spin) their setup questions so you control what airs and prints. Additionally, we’ll discuss how to recognize upfront if the media is your friend (distributing information in emergencies) or foe (escalating the issue), how to best leverage a friendly media, and how to effectively mitigate a hostile one. Finally, Goetz will outline when to know it’s time for damage control, the essentials of damage control, and how to take responsibility and show empathy WITHOUT losing trust in your leadership.
Throughout this webinar participants take a look at real-world video footage and examples from the field of what to do and not to do when it comes to the media. Attendees will walk away with a better understanding of the media and a game plan to survive (and thrive in) any media crisis.
