One problem we have seen repeatedly in the wake of major campus crisis events is the tendency for campus employees to give unauthorized media interviews under stress. Though most campus organizations have detailed policies relating to the release of information to the media, it is not uncommon for rank and file employees to be unfamiliar with these policies because they do not typically interact with the media. Even when they are familiar with the policies, it is not unusual for staff who have just experienced a major crisis to make a statement to reporters while they are in shock from the event.
Including a media protocol in your crisis plans, training staff on the protocol, simulating attempts by reporters to interview staff during drills and discussing this concern during the hot wash can reduce the chances that one or more staff members will provide unauthorized interviews. Repeated practice can further reduce the chances that an employee under stress will make this type of often harmful error.
Related Articles:
- Managing the Media Circus When VIIPs Come to Campus
- What Your Campus Can Learn From the Murdock Media Debacle
- Managing the Unimanigable
