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Jun. 15, 2023 by Nicole Schuman, PR News There's no shortage of opinions these days. Podcast hosts, politicians, media pundits, TikTok stars, film stars, athletes--everyone has something to say, about everything. And even for those who don't have a celebrity status, digital platforms exist for anyone who wishes to share an idea or experience. Twitter used to be the preferred digital town square for sharing, but now users can go to YouTube or even LinkedIn to deliver expertise and viewpoints. But with great reach comes great responsibility. And the public has seen its share of oversharing go badly. This includes CEOs, managers, and even brand social media accounts going rogue--a PR professional's worst nightmare. Our latest PRNEWS poll asked our readers if they've ever dealt with a client or executive who has gone off-script. An overwhelming majority said yes. To view the poll click here. This enforces the ideal that one of the basic skills for PR practitioners needs to be handling public discourse of an individual before, during and after an appearance--whether intended or not. PRNEWS asked several industry experts how they handle their clients. Believing in the Message John Guilfoil, Principal, JGPR, works primarily with government and law enforcement officials, some of whom are publicly elected. He notes that any public messaging is usually more about talking points than scripts. "When the client lives and believes the message, the talking points should be enough for a good executive," Guilfoil says. Melanie McGovern, Director of PR and social media, International Association of Better Business Bureaus, Inc., agrees. "We remind our local BBBs to avoid interviews that do not have anything to do with mission/vision, and that we are always available to help answer any questions they may have about a reporter inquiry." The Media Relations Pregame McGovern also notes the importance of talking with a reporter, and what the gist of their story will be, before agreeing to any interviews. "There are times when our local BBBs will get questions from journalists for which BBB is not the right source, in that case we refer them to other sources for the information," she says. "We work as a team to create content in our newsfeed that has BBB information on a variety of topics, including tips that double as talking points." Jenny Wang, SVP, Clyde Group says practice sometimes makes perfect--but not always. Still providing some training is always better to educate those addressing the public, than none. "Of course, prepping clients for potential questions and having mock interviews beforehand--as part of overall media training--is paramount, though it doesn't always prevent clients from going rogue," Wang says. To read the entire article click here. Tweet |
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