Handling The Media in Contentious Situations · • The oldest, largest media institution: The New...

LEXIS NEXIS * INVESTOR RELATIONS MANAGEMENT * MARCH 18, 2008 * BURSA MALAYSIA

Handling The Media in Contentious Situations ©

Millicent Danker Founder & CEO

March 18, 2008


The BriefYou & The MediaDealing with Media DemandsTools & Techniques to avoid pitfalls & improve company reputation


You & The Media


Brief History

• The oldest, largest media institution: The New Straits Times Group; its flagship paper, The New Straits Times, was first established in July 15, 1845 and is believed to be among the oldest newspaper titles in the world

• The broadsheet New Straits Times was the leading national newspaper in English until 1997 when its daily circulation was overtaken by The Star, a tabloid first established in 1971

• Readership of the English dailies has declined in favour of the vernaculars; Harian Metro is the fastest-growing paper in the country with a circulation of nearly 250,000

• The Utusan Malaysia (210,000) was published in 1938 as the first vernacular newspaper

• Berita Harian, born in 1957, enjoys a circulation of the same• The mainstream Chinese newspapers, six in all, claim a combined daily circulation

of more than 1 million• Malaysia’s own national news agency, Bernama, began operations in 1968• Television made its debut in Malaysia in the early 60s


Key Media Issues

• Government-influenced; organized, like government, along party lines• Highly supportive of the national agenda• Sometimes used to discredit individuals and institutions• Skills shortages, poor language competency• Print media much more developed in content, electronic media less so• TV widely used for propaganda; radio entertains


Mainstream Press

– 4 English Morning Dailies (The Star, The New Straits Times, The Sun, Malay Mail)

– 4 Bahasa Morning Dailies(Harian Metro, Berita Harian, Utusan Malaysia, Kosmo!)

– 6 Chinese Morning Dailies(Sin Chew Daily, China Press, Guang Ming, Kwong Wah Yit Poh, Nanyang Siang Pau, Oriental Daily)

– 2 Tamil Dailies(Tamil Nesan, Malaysia Nanban)

– Sunday Editions of the above– A Weekly Financial Newspaper (The Edge)


Electronic Media

• Radio:– RTM (32 stations)– AMP/ASTRO (8 terrestrial radio channels and 10 music channels)– THR (1 station)– Radio Rediffusion (2 stations)– Synchrosound (1 station)

• Television:– RTM (1,2) – Wholly government-owned– TV3 (Media Prima Group)– 8TV (Media Prima Group)– Ntv7 (NatSeven TV Sdn Bhd)– ASTRO– MiTV – Berjaya Group Berhad


Alternative Media• www.malaysiakini.com• www.jeffooi.com• www.harakahdaily.net• “Utusan Konsumer”• “Aliran”• www.blog.limkitsiang.com• www.rocky’sbru.com• www.malikintiaz.blogspot.com• www.brandmalaysia.com• www.mykmu.net

http://www.blog.limkitsiang.com/

http://www.rocky'sbru.coms/

http://www.malikintiaz.blogspot.com/

http://www.brandmalaysia.com/


Foreign Press

Foreign Media Representatives

• Financial Times (S’pore)• CNN (S’pore)• Newsweek (S’pore)• AWSJ• Straits Times Singapore• Business Times Singapore• JiJi Press Ltd• Asia Inc. (S’pore)• CNBC Asia (S’pore)• Al-Jazeera

Wire Services & News Agencies

• Bernama Economic Service• Reuters• AFP• AP• UPI• Bloomberg Business News• Dow Jones News Wires• AFX-Asia• Kyodo News Service• Nikkei (Nihon Keizai Shimbun)


East Malaysian Press

• Key Sarawak Papers: – Berita Petang Sarawak (C) – Chinese Daily News (C)– International Times (C)– Miri Daily News (C)– See Hua Daily News (C)– Utusan Sarawak (BM) – The Borneo Post (E) – Malaysian Today (E)– Eastern Times (E)

• Key Sabah Papers: – Borneo Post (E)– Borneo Mail (E)– Borneo Bulletin (E)– Daily Express (E)– New Sabah Times (E)– Asia Times (C) – Morning Post (C)– Merdeka Daily News (C)– Overseas Chinese Daily News (C)– See Hua Daily News (C)


An important channel of communication

Command large audiences/readers/listeners/viewers

Control public opinion

Wield influence and power

Can build or destroy reputation

The Media: Why they matter


Know Your Media

• Ownership• Editorial Policy• Key Players• Influence• Frequency of Publication• Copy Deadlines

• News Interest• Readership Profile• Circulation • Geographical Strengths


A day in the life of a newsroom

News Editor assigns reporter to event

Reporter returns to write his story

Story is edited by Sub-Editor

Sub-Editors lay out news pages

Evening conference decides how to play


‘It is essential that companies should present their past record and their future opportunities positively to the outside world. Since a number of people will be involved in representing the company, chairmen have to make certain that they are all playing to the same rules and presenting the same picture of the enterprise’

-- From ‘Corporate Governance & Chairmanship, A Personal View’, 2002

Sir Adrian Cadbury, Father of Corporate Governance says…


A clear opportunity to present a message enhance company reputation or image provide publicity for products and services influence public opinion or educate correct misunderstanding motivate staff promote understanding

When to give an interview?


X time pressuresX issue-related environmentX potential negativesX wrong spokespersonX incomplete factsX ‘unfriendly’ or ‘naïve’ pressX wrong timing

When not to give an interview?


Know your media

Consider the audience

Know your story

Determine key messages

Anticipate questions/develop Q&A

How do you prepare?


Dealing with media demands


Key Communication Values

Accuracy & Simplicity

Two-way communication

Accountability

Openness & Transparency

Timeliness


During a Crisis

In a crisis, the media want answers to these questions:

• What happened?• How did it happen?• What are you doing about it?


During a Crisis

Your task is to provide these answers:

• This is what happened• This is what we are doing about it• This is how we feel about what has happened


During a Crisis

Reasons for poor communications:

• Lack of information• Don’t know what to say, or how to say it• Fear of making the situation worse• Fear of the media• Trying to protect reputation• Fear of revealing proprietary information


During a Crisis

Media Behaviour

• Feeding frenzy• Intense competition among journalists• Needing something extra via scoops or exclusives• Higher emotional content, with natural sympathy for the underdog


During a Crisis

If you do not provide information others will…• Eyewitnesses• Analysts, observers• Local, State or National Level Politicians• Armchair Experts• Pressure Groups• Local Community Leaders• Partner/Internal ‘sources’

These sources will shape and decide the story for your organisation, resulting in:• Stakeholder perception issues• Risks to corporate reputation• Conflicting and contradictory views


During a Crisis

When communicating, do…

• Tell the truth• Release only confirmed facts• Show concern when death/injuries/psychological trauma/losses have occurred• Tell what you are doing to resolve the situation and/or mitigate the damage• Provide regular updates


During a Crisis

• Both electronic and print media will be interested in accurate and early information• We must always appear to be well-informed and in control• The Chairman/CEO, as the chief spokesperson, may need to speak personally, or

be interviewed on TV; media skills/simulation needed• Good PR skills are essential in times of crisis• Companies at high risk usually have pre-prepared statements for press/employees• Consider a ‘Gag’ order for internal stakeholders• Press material should be drawn from Risk Assurance, Corporate Governance,

HSE, Environmental, Quality & other policies


During a Crisis

When conveying bad news, remember to focus on the PAP formula

• People (to demonstrate your concern for those affected)• Action (as taken by your company to solve/mitigate the problem)• Perspective (putting matters in context)


Reframe / Buy Time:

• PAUSE & SMILE “Some people may take that view about our safety policies, but we have the best safety record of all Asian airlines…”

• THE HELICOPTER TECHNIQUE “If you look at it that way, I can understand that service quality may appear to be lacking but if you look at this way you will find that we are ISO certified and have consistently won the industry’s best-practice award for 11 years now…”

• TAKE A STEP BACK “Before I answer that specific question, let me give you some background about our company…”

Answering a Difficult Question


A Case in Point – Air Asia


Tools & Techniques


The Story House Approach

• CONCEPT: Packaging core messages to facilitate delivery in media situations

• CONSTRUCTION: A roof with 3 rooms based on a solid foundation of facts and figures

• COMMUNICATION: ‘Big-picture’ approach – create the impression then deliver messages horizontally, using facts and figures to illustrate them


• A ROOF: The takeaway impression

• THREE ROOMS: One for each core message

• SOME STILTS: The foundations which support the messages (the facts & figures)

Constructing The Story House


Why Use a Story House?

• You communicate not more than 3 messages at any one time• You package information into digestible bits• You give shape and definition to your messages• You have a framework or agenda for the media interaction• You have a platform to ‘bridge back’ when derailed• You have a memory or recall aid


Core Messages Messages pertaining to important aspects of your business

• Mission/Vision• Business philosophy• Core values• Brand proposition• Financial performance• Operational successes• Track record • Products & Services• Future directions• Corporate governance


We are a four-year-old airline

We’ve carried 20 million people

We have helped the common man to fly

The Air Asia Story House:Air Asia has brought democracy to flying


Content vs. Control: Evaluating your performance

CONTENT• What is my Story?• Key Messages• Supporting Facts & Figures

CONTROL• Build rapport with the media• Take control• Manage interruptions• Stay on message• Bridge back to the Story House• Use flagging & listing • Present positive body language• Speak clearly & concisely• Do not repeat negatives• Smile


This document remains the intellectual property of Perception Management International Group and may not be reproduced or used in any form whatsoever without the permission of its Principal Consultant

THANK YOUThis document © remains the intellectual property of

Perception Management International Group and may not be reproduced or used in any form whatsoever without the

permission of its Principal Consultant

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