A media crisis is unwelcome at the best of times, but can occur at any time. A reporter could call you or your office unexpectedly asking difficult questions. Or your company may receive a late invitation to appear on a television show that’s being programmed for tonight. Perhaps a reporter stops you in the street or at your office to ask you questions. Maybe you knew nothing was amiss until your company’s name popped up in the social media.

Situations like these do occur. Be prepared. The tips that follow will help you weather the unwelcome attention of the media.

If you are faced by an, angry, hostile or urgent media:

Speak directly to one reporter, and make your statements short, sharp and concise.

Firstly, strive to get your main points across with your prepared statements. Bring the media up to date with the current situation. You may even prefer to avoid answering specific questions entirely if they don’t help your cause. But if you can they may go away content and not dig further.

Avoid the use of jargon and don’t lay blame. Jargon can obscure the main message and aggravate the situation. The acronym BSE is objective; the expression “mad cow” is inflammatory.

If you have made a mistake in one of your responses, admit it.

You may face questions that cause you to lose your temper. Try to stay calm and not lose it!

When you’re emotional, angry or upset you’re not thinking properly. When that happens the chances are that you’ll say something you later regret. Beware of comments being taken out of context too.

Being boring doesn’t make for good television. So be calm and boring. And keep to your main subject and don’t stray.

If the crisis is in relation to human live or out of concern for the environment, provide reassurance that all lives are safe and that there is no threat to the environment. Be very clear that you are doing everything possible to save both. Enhance your credibility by showing concern for what has happened.

Be sure that your facts and figures are correct and accurate. If you’re not sure about something, it’s ok to say so, but also say you will provide the correct figures as soon as possible.

It’s important to leave the media with a strong impression that you are the only spokesperson representing your company.

What does “on the record” and “off the record” mean?

“On the record” means that everything you say can be used by the media.

“Off the record” means your answers shouldn’t be reported. However, don’t confuse speaking “off the record” with general background information which sometimes needs to be provided.

However, it should be noted that speaking “off the record” is not recommended. If you can’t say it “on the record”, just don’t say it.

Effective crisis management requires proper planning, preparation and practice. Don’t wait till it’s too late. Take steps now before the crisis happens. Facing an angry, hostile or urgent media isn’t easy. You will be best placed if you’ve had professional media training beforehand. Many executives think they can do it for themselves and risk making things worse for their companies. Losing control, getting angry or defensive will only make the situation worse.

A premier London PR Agency can provide just the professional guidance and assistance you need. This is what they do every day. And by successfully managing the crisis, who knows? You may even turn the situation around and turn a crisis into a triumph.

If you are looking for a top London PR Agency to help you plan and prepare an effective and appropriate media strategy, benefit from the professionalism and connections London PR can provide for you. You will get rapid quotations from top London PR Agencies, saving you money and time.

Successful radio interviews.

Whether live or recorded, the points that follow will help ensure your interview is a success.

What do you do if you’re asked by a journalist for an interview? Before responding, make sure you know who, why, where and when the interview is going to take place. As with most things in business, those companies that prepare stand the best chance of success.

Of course the topic of the interview is of paramount importance. Don’t assume you know what it is. Check with the producer or interviewer in advance.

Does the interviewer have a particular style, and can you find this out in advance? Are there recordings of their work you can listen to? This is an important part of your preparation.

Practice delivering your key points. Prepare your interview plan and practice again.

Give yourself lots of time to arrive and become accustomed to your surroundings, especially if you’re unfamiliar with a radio studio.

It’s perfectly OK to take notes into the interview with you to refer to. These should be at least the main points you want to convey.

Your interviewer may be too busy to greet you properly when you arrive. Don’t be put off by this. They have many things to concentrate on before the interview airs.

Headphones can put you off if you’re not used to them, so best avoid them unless it’s a talk-back show.

If the red light’s on, you’re “on”! Be careful what you say at all times, even though you may think the interview’s over.

Speak into the microphone. Too far away and you will sound faint and weak. When you’re close you will come across strongly, which is what you want of course.

Make sure you stay close to the microphone during the interview and don’t pull away. About 10cm is right.

It’s alright to cough, just make sure you turn away from the microphone when you do so.

If you smile on air, it will show through in your voice. So smile! Your audience will empathise with you better.

You may find you need a copy of your interview later, so try to record it or obtain a copy.

Make sure you thank the interviewer.

How to succeed with a TV Interview.

Here are 5 more tips to help make your TV interview a success.

Go live, if at all possible.

Location is important. Make sure it is appropriate to your TV interview topic.

TV is visual. Get your story across better with visual support like pictures, tables, graphs and drawings.

For recorded interviews, keep your answers concise (around 20 secs max.) to avoid the potential risks of editing.

On reflection, you may find you’re not happy with some of the answers you gave. Ask for the interview to be repeated.

Lastly, 3 more tips to help you cope with a press interview.

Often a press interview will be over the phone. Make sure you’re properly prepared. Have your notes to hand with your main points and any “sound bites” you want to get across. Remember, it is your agenda.

You may be able to influence the way your story is reported by providing the journalist with briefing notes and background information you have prepared.

Again, record the interview if possible.

An experienced London based business adviser, Roberta Y Keith proposes London PR to businesses looking for a London PR Agency and need to save themselves time and money. London PR Services range from full-service to very specialised PR Services.