Interacting with the Media

BACWA Wet Weather Management WorkshopMay 28, 2008

Ben Strumwasser, CirclePoint and Tracy Keough, O’Rorke

Presentation Overview Introduction

Purpose of this training BACWA & Agency media protocol

Issues you may encounter Be Prepared! Do’s and don’ts General messages to keep on hand Questions

Introduction Why this training?

To help member agencies prepare for potential media contact

To show how you can use your role in BACWA, an authority in the industry, to your advantage

To give you some best practice pointers

Issues You May Encounter Spills/releases Emergency shutdowns Earthquakes Equipment theft Events in other

geographies Rates-related news Agency “drama” Distorted news Reports that do not tell

YOUR story

Be Prepared! Know your subject Know where to get the

information/details you need Facts, stats, quotes from

experts, other third party sources, critical reports, web sites

Anticipate questions/responses in advance

Have a few anecdotes, success stories at the ready

Know your messages! From your agency From BACWA

Other Do’s and Don’tsDo’s

Know your agencies’ protocols

Use your messages Do your homework Tell the truth Communicate clearly:

think sound bite Consider your audience Project confidence Be sensitive and

professional Include positive messages

Don’ts Answer questions you

don’t know the answer to

Ramble Get defensive Use too much jargon Overuse stats Appear judgmental or

condescending

General Messages After stating your name and

qualifications, provide assurance that all available resources are urgently assessing the problem to provide the most efficient and appropriate solution/fix

Reflect the shared technical, scientific, environmental and economic expertise among BACWA members and elevate the discussion to include the regional picture, including challenges, to protect the Bay

Provide the public with contact information to obtain future information and/or updates on when you will provide additional details

Include a call to action to enlist public support for infrastructure upgrades in your region and throughout the Bay Area

Recent Press Coverage: How Should you Respond?

Questions for Thought…  What is being done about this sewage

spill? What caused this spill? What is your agency doing to prevent

sewage spills? (or, to BACWA: What is being done to prevent sewage spills in the region?)

How frequently do spills occur at your facility?

Example Messages in Action

Before: Consistent Messaging About Need for Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements

After: Focus Off Blaming Agency and On Need for an Agency Plan

Questions? What experiences with the

media have you found particularly challenging? How have you handled those situations?

How might BACWA further assist in dealing with emergency events?

What are examples, in your opinion, of effective media strategies?