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Interacting with the Media

Interacting with the Media . BACWA Wet Weather Management Workshop May 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

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Interacting with the Media

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  1. Interacting with the Media BACWA Wet Weather Management Workshop May 28, 2008 Ben Strumwasser, CirclePoint and Tracy Keough, O’Rorke

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. Other Do’s and Don’ts Do’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

  7. 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

  8. Recent Press Coverage: How Should you Respond?

  9. 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?

  10. Example Messages in Action After: Focus Off Blaming Agency and On Need for an Agency Plan Before: Consistent Messaging About Need for Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements

  11. 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?

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