Publicity: Nailing a Media Interview, Part II (Crisis Management)

We'd all like reporters to ask us about our career successes and personal triumphs-heck, we'd all like anyone to ask us about those. But reporters must look out for their clients, the reading public. Think about it from your own perspective as an investor-when you read a story about a company, you want to know that the reporter has asked difficult questions, not just relied on the PR hype.

So don't get offended when reporters ask tough or skeptical questions. It's their job. Chances are an unhappy customer, unwilling prospect, or unfriendly rival has dished out worse to you!

No matter how uncomfortable the line of questioning, never, ever, mislead, attempt to conceal crucial facts, tell an untruth, or otherwise try to manipulate the media. We all know that lying is wrong, but that's not the only reason that I always oppose it. Aside from any moral considerations, misleading the media always backfires in the end. Sometimes, way sooner.

I have seen countless examples of this. Remember Watergate? Very often, the fib starts out early, as an insignificant story. But it tends to get magnified a little down the road ? and pretty soon, a minor embarrassment turns into a major fiasco. Eventually, it's the lie that becomes the story, not the original story itself.

Ned Steele works with people in professional services who want to build their practice and accelerate their growth. The president of Ned Steele's MediaImpact, he is the author of 102 Publicity Tips To Grow a Business or Practice. To learn more visit http://www.MediaImpact.biz or call 212-243-8383.

In The News:

pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


PR Is Just Smart Business

The name of the game is doing our part to... Read More

Publicity: The Right Way for Marketing-Minded Financial Planners to Follow Up with a Reporter

Let's say you've called a reporter with some ideas for... Read More

Managers: Paying for PR-Lite?

As a business, non-profit or association manager, your public relations... Read More

Best Approach For Free Advertisement

Product/service publicity is the superhighway to business success everyone dreams.... Read More

Cross Cultural Communication & PR

The Public Relations (PR) industry is responsible for creating and... Read More

How to Get Publicity for a Service Business

Many of our clients are in service businesses, such as... Read More

How Managers Hurt Their PR Results

Business, non-profit or association managers hurt their own public relations... Read More

Does the PR Blueprint Work?

Managers, please take a minute and read two sentences: People... Read More

Whats Important About PR?

Quite a bit, actually. Public relations helps business, non- profit... Read More

Detailing The Famous Kentucky Derby Train

The annual detailing of the Kentucky Derby Train is an... Read More

Andrew Bogut - His Big Media Blunder And What You Can Learn From It

Andrew Bogut, the Australian basketballer is now officially in the... Read More

Ready For A Business Recovery?

Who wants to face the challenges of a business recovery... Read More

Managerial Survival Key

For business, non-profit or association managers like yourself, survival pretty... Read More

Say What?

As the comedian Steve Martin once said, "some people have... Read More

Media Training: When Reporters Bully You

UNDER FIREA friend whose organization is often in the media... Read More

What is News?

What may be the more appropriate question is: What makes... Read More

Do You Really Need PR?

The right kind of PR, that is, the kind that... Read More

A PR Question For Chinese Managers

As the practice of public relations in China continues to... Read More

Managers and PR: One Thing Is Clear

As a business, non-profit or association manager, you have a... Read More

Getting Free Publicity with Radio Interviews

Imagine that you are a radio producer. You have to... Read More

Managers: Can We Agree on This?

Your public relations effort really should involve more than press... Read More

The Ultimate PR Scam

It happens to business, non-profit and association managers when their... Read More

Anatomy Of A PR Campaign

The message is determined by analyzing the brand being marketed,... Read More

Media Training: How To Speak During a Media Interview

WHITE NOISEA client recently told me about a fascinating new... Read More

Marketing-Minded Financial Planners, the Media Wants to Give You Free Publicity

In this great country of ours, there are basically three... Read More

Your Online Newsroom: How to Give Reporters a Tip

It's hard to imagine a reporter working today who doesn't... Read More

8 Ways to Use Local Publicity to Drive Your Business

While scoring anice story in BusinessWeek or USA Today is... Read More

A PR Surprise for Managers

For those business, non-profit and association managers committed to PR... Read More

Managers, Start Your PR

There'll never be a better time for a manager working... Read More

Tough Times, Tough Tactics

When times are tough, it's no time to ignore those... Read More

Foolproof Publicity for Marketing-Minded Financial Planners

They'd hate to admit it, but the media is pretty... Read More

The Ultimate PR Edge: Getting Reporters To Open Your E-Mails

You know that getting publicity is vital to the health... Read More

PR: A Potent Force for Success

What's REALLY potent for a business, non-profit or association manager... Read More