If your Department is involved in a major fire-rescue incident, building dedication, community relations program, awareness month, personnel matter, crisis management issue etc. a formal press conference might be in order.
In other posts I will cover my take on fire ground and crisis management conferences, but today I’ll take a look at a generic press event that you might be doing, that is not fire ground related, and that you have time to prepare for.
I always talk about the “boy who cried wolf” syndrome. If you lead the press to believe that everything your department does is news worthy and significant, you will be sorely disappointed when they do not show up, thinking it is another false alarm.
If you want to hold a press conference please make sure it is completely necessary.
The current attitude of many journalists is that they prefer an individual call, e-mail, Tweet or written news story over physically appearing at a news conference.
If you do feel all systems are go to invite the press to gather here is a checklist for preparing for a press conference or press event.
This list covers the logistics of a press conference after the topic and message have been determined.
Planning
• Determine a target media list.
• Draft a press advisory.
• Vet the advisory with appropriate department officers or parties.
• Select a suitable location.
Preparation
• Issue a press advisory.
• Conduct follow-up phone calls to the media and pitch the event.
• Prepare and review principal’s talking points or remarks.
• Draft a press release and other media kit materials.
• Vet materials with officers or appropriate parties.
• Review media kit materials.
• Print and collate media kits.
• Coordinate preparation of any additional props or tools (charts, PowerPoint, etc.)
• Confirm attendance and talking points of all speakers.
• Review event/room set-up.
• Arrange/review media monitoring procedures.
• Coordinate in-office photography, audio and video of the event.
Execution
• Collect list of all press attendees.
• Identify special needs of reporters (post-event interviews, post-event information requests)
• Distribute press release to target media list (done simultaneously as event occurs)
Immediate Follow-Up (Same Day)
• Respond to reporters’ requests for additional information.
• Conduct follow-up interviews.
• Draft initial summary of coverage, including names and organizations of attending reporters.
Long-Term Follow-Up
• Collect clips and video of event.
• Prepare report summarizing coverage.
Also on The Fire PIO…
- Austin, Texas IRS Plane Crash – Virtual JIC Critique – March 5, 2010
- Festival of PIO’s – July 19, 2010
- Is the Media taking a Free Ride? – March 4, 2010
- Crisis Management for an Inebriated Firefighter in Uniform – March 19, 2010
Important: making sure everyone in the department learns to check ALL communications, both internal and announcements to the press, for grammatical correctness and proper spelling. Every time I receive an email, text message, business letter, or memo filled with errors my estimation of the sender’s intelligence and education drops considerably. I lose overall confidence in the person, if for no other reason than that their sloppy writing indicates an overall lack of concern for proficiency.
1.) Don’t use “myself” to look educated, unless you are absolutely sure it’s not “I” or “me” you should use. As my teachers suggested when I in fourth grade, the best way to determine which word to use, is to test its use by itself.
Sentences to check for accuracy:
a) Myself and my wife went to the store.
Myself went to the store. WRONG
I went to the store. CORRECT!
A second problem with the original sentence is that it should be “My wife and I…”. One always puts the other first in the sentence.
b) The loud noise scared my dog and myself.
The loud noise scared myself. WRONG
The loud noise scared ME. CORRECT!
2.) Don’t use any form of the phrase “begs the question”, unless you are absolutely sure what it means and that it applies. The phrase is regularly used incorrectly.
Briefly put, “begging the question” is a fallacy in logical argument. It DOES NOT mean that the issue being discussed requires or suggests a question needing to be posed.
A good description of the “begging the question” fallacy can be found in “The Trivium”, a book by Sister Miriam Joseph Rauh, edited by Marguerite McGlinn, published by Paul Dry Books, 2002.
Educated people know the proper use of “myself” and know what “begging the question” is and cringe at their misuse. Proverbs 17:28 says “Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.” If you aren’t absolutely positive of the grammatical correctness and proper spelling of the words in ALL your communications then you should consider finding someone who can help you proof your written communications and coach you before you give a speech.
The following is a form letter our department fire chief composed and mailed recently.
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February 4, 2010
As of today date your being asked to return all property issued to you by the ____ Fire District (any PPE, Radio’s, Tools, etc.). This property must be returned within 30 days or further action will be taken.
Sincerely,
Chief Ignoramous
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The receivers of this letter literally burst out laughing at the illiteracy and ignorance of the chief being displayed. First, he sent it to VOLUNTEERS who OWN their own equipment; there’s nothing for them to return. Second, there are several individuals the chief could have turned to for help proofing it. The chief LOST credibility within our very small community and among the Fire Board members when the letter made the rounds of the local watering holes.