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COVID-19 A Plague of Mixed Messages

By Doug Weller

Not since the Spanish Flu, has the world experienced such an extreme health crisis as the Covid-19 pandemic.

Large-scale crises over the past 100 years have shaken the world. We’ve faced wars, terrorist attacks, stock market crashes, recessions, revolutions, nuclear and natural disasters. Now we face the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and it’s horrendous health and financial consequences.

Mixed messages have confused the public

Online traffic seeking Covid-19 updates has surged as global leaders use the media to reach their target audiences.

Unfortunately, mixed messages have caused uncertainty. People receiving a flood of confusing and conflicting information have acted based on their own interpretations. This meant some were following guidelines, others weren’t.

The last thing you need in a crisis is mixed messages. During the Covid-19 pandemic, mixed message examples are endless.

President Trump contradicted health advice

As worldwide debate persisted about the value of wearing face masks, the US government updated its guidelines.

The government recommended people should be “wearing cloth face coverings in public settings”. But President Donald Trump contradicted that advice, announcing it was voluntary and saying, “You do not have to do it…I don’t think I’m going to be doing it”.

So the message is…?

School messages confused parents

In some cases, mixed messaging has been understandable. Australian schools are a good example.

Schools across the country have delivered various messages because of their different situations and jurisdictions.

Some schools closed while others remained open.

The ABC’s Australian Story ‘One day at a time’, included these three back to back comments demonstrating mixed school messages:

Prime Minister Scott Morrison,
“Children should go to school tomorrow”

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian,
“We will be encouraging parents to keep their children at home”

A parent,
“Should I listen to the principal here, or the Premier? The Prime Minister? Who?

Too many mixed messages confused parents.

Maybe the better message from spokespeople outside the schools would be, “Every school is different. All schools are in contact with their Education Departments. Contact your school and follow their recommendations.”

Social distancing messages were open to interpretation

The messages around ‘social distancing’ were initially unclear and not well managed, resulting in people making their own assumptions and acting accordingly.

When it was announced that no more than 500 people could gather in outdoor spaces and individuals must keep 1.5 metres apart, crowds still turned up to Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach. Many beach goers carried on as normal and it became a global news story. To stop Covid-19 spreading, Bondi Beach closed.

Rules for other Australian beaches remained confusing.

Sydney Morning Herald Writer, Kasey Edwards, went for a stroll on a Melbourne beach after checking local guidelines. She was shocked when police approached her during her walk. They told her the beach was closed and she must leave.

Kasey said, “The messages from the different levels of government – even from within the same level of government — are so inconsistent and mind-bogglingly illogical, that even when you try to do the right thing you can’t. I will gladly do the right thing. I just need to know what it is.” She also stated, “if an adult can’t easily follow the hodgepodge, reactionary, contradictory and loop-hole-ridden advice, then how are we supposed to give clear rules to our kids?”

Self isolation guidelines confused doctors

Medical professionals arrived in Australia from a conference and failed to follow self-isolation guidelines.

The doctors later said that there was confusion at the airport. They believed they were following police instructions to go to their homes and self-isolate.

Economic stimulus information confused small business

There was misunderstanding about the Federal Government’s stimulus packages, including what is available and who can receive it.

The $130 billion Jobkeeper scheme is a good example.

The Prime Minister’s media release stated, “Eligible employers will be those with annual turnover of less than $1 billion who self-assess that have a reduction in revenue of 30 per cent or more, since 1 March 2020 over a minimum one-month period.”

What is ‘self-assess’? How does it work?

Which 1-month period?

The Jobkeeper criteria baffled small business, forcing the Government to clarify.

So, who is handling the Covid-19 crisis messaging well?

ABC health reporter Dr Normal Swan has been terrific when delivering clear information about this fast-moving story.

Victoria’s Chief Health Officer, Dr Brett Sutton’s concise understandable message delivery during the early stages of the crisis is another excellent example.

Australian immunologist, Peter Doherty, should get an award for explaining complex medical language in simple terms. He nails it in this article as he’s been doing since day one of this crisis.

Clarity and guidance are needed

The public and businesses around the world are relying on their governments and leaders for guidance during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The confusion media messages have caused during this crisis is an important reminder for communications professionals and leaders, to deliver clear messages from the outset.

So, what can we all learn about crisis messaging from Covid-19?

Prepare media messages before a crisis hits. The more prepared you are for a possible crisis, the better.

Create clear, concise media messages that you can easily adjust prior to release.

Where possible, try to remove the need for later clarification, even if it means delaying the initial release.

In a crisis like Covid-19 where everyone needs to understand instructions, ensure media messages are clear, concise and jargon free.

Test media messages on an audience outside your area of expertise. Do they understand? If not, adjust the messages.

Don’t risk losing your audience’s trust with mixed messages.

Remember that unclear media messages could hinder or destroy your desired outcome and damage your credibility.

Very important! Try to stick to one media spokesperson. If there is more than one, everyone needs to be delivering the same messages.

Information Only

Any information presented on our website is general. It is not a substitute for professional advice.

Further Assistance

To get the most from your media opportunities and avoid the danger zones, contact Corporate Media Services for more information about our training programs and media consultancy.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, all Corporate Media Services training courses are currently conducted online.

For information and bookings please call 1300 737 913 or Director Doug Weller 0412 298905.

In Case You’re Wondering – Nothing’s Off-The-Record

Donald Trump’s former personal assistant learnt a brutal lesson about going off-the-record with journalists.

According to CNN, Madeleine Westerhout attended a dinner in New Jersey with Deputy White House Press Secretary, Hogan Gidley, and several reporters. These dinners are common and typically treated as off-the-record.

CNN says when Gidley left the room to attend to media commitments, Westerhout remained in the room with the reporters and divulged intimate details about Trumps family.

It was a career ending conversation.

What is off-the-record?

Off-the-record is common. It is often confused with background briefings which are an opportunity to give journalists background to a story or issue.

Background briefings can be very useful for both sides. They can help journalists understand complex issues, enabling them to hopefully write a more informed and accurate story.

Backgrounders, as they are called, can easily slip into an off-the-record discussion.

That’s the dangerous point for people who don’t understand the rules.

So, what is off-the-record?

Generally, it is information you are giving to a journalist which may benefit you and them. But usually the information is not to be used and certainly not attributed to you. It’s often used in politics to damage a rival.

But different journalists have different views of off-the-record.

Some may feel they can use off-the-record information to gain further details from another source. Some may believe they can use your comments but not your name.

You need to be absolutely sure of how a journalist interprets off-the-record and you must be certain that they will respect the off-the-record agreement.

Many people, such as some experienced media and communications professionals, use off-the-record with journalists they trust.

But with so many journalists and so many different off-the-record interpretations, our advice to media training participants is very clear – nothing is off-the-record.

Off-the-record comments can become the story

Regard anything you say after “hello” as quotable.

This rule was forgotten recently by someone who should know better; an airline spokesperson whose comments were included in a negative story.

Low cost airline, Flybe, should have been basking in positive media attention after The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton were passengers.

For most organisations, having the British Royal Family use your services is a golden PR ticket.

However, Prince Harry had just been criticised for flying on private jets after publicly declaring everyone should be lowering their carbon footprint.

Prince William travelling on a commercial flight therefore should have been a good news story for Flybe.

But instead, the airline faced a messy controversy surrounding carbon emissions.

The Daily Mail reported that ‘The 8.40am flight the royal party took from Norwich to Aberdeen…is normally operated by Scottish company Loganair on behalf of Eastern Airways, Flybe’s franchise partner.’

The spokesperson for Eastern Air, which manages the route, was questioned on why an empty Flybe aircraft was ferried in to replace the Loganair aircraft.

Flying in an empty plane to replace an existing plane, reportedly for Flybe brand promotion, is obviously far from environmentally friendly.

The spokesperson’s comments to the Daily Mail then became part of the story:

In an extraordinary conversation, Eastern Air spokesperson reportedly told the Daily Mail they were “completely unconcerned” what this newspaper was intending to publish, describing the scenario put to them as “immaterial, as long as all their passengers had a nice flight”. Asked repeatedly whether the spokesperson wanted to correct anything that had been put to the reporter, the answer was “no – write what you want to write”. The spokesman eventually said, after prompting, that they would provide a “one-line statement – for what it is worth”, but despite repeated requests to both Eastern and Flybe nothing was sent by the time of going to press.

Sometimes it’s media and PR officers who make major mistakes when speaking to journalists.

Under pressure, they can forget that basic rule – everything after “hello” is quotable.

It’s very easy to go off-the-record with journalists. But casual conversations that at the time don’t seem to be a big deal could become part of a story, or become the story itself.

Journalists work in a very competitive and fast-paced environment. When you are communicating with them you need to be on the ball from the word go.

Remember

Understand the difference between background briefings and off-the-record.

Be aware that if you say something flippant and it’s newsworthy, it could wind up on the front page.

Always remain professional.

Most importantly know the rules around off-the-record, what off-the-record actually means and how the journalist you are speaking with interprets it.

Leave the off-the-record game to experienced media people who understand it. If you’re not highly experienced at this game, nothing is off-the-record.

Regard everything after “hello” as quotable.

Information Only

Any information presented on our website is of a general nature only and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice.

Further Assistance

If you want to know how to make the most of your media opportunities and avoid the danger zones, contact Corporate Media Services for more information on how our training programs or media consultancy can help you.

Sources

Airline bosses ‘flew an EMPTY aircraft 123 miles to Norfolk to pick up unwitting Prince William and Kate’

William and Kate spotted on budget £73 FlyBe flight following Harry and Meghan private jet controversy

‘I love Tiffany’: Donald Trump defends daughter after Madeleine Westerhout ousted from White House

 

CBS Social Media Crisis Following Vegas Shooting

By Doug Weller

The CBS social media crisis following the tragic Vegas shooting highlights why social media protocols are so important for organisations.

Are there any words to describe the awful mass shooting in Las Vegas?

I was in Las Vegas only weeks before the incident, so to see what occurred there was surreal.

The headlines were hard to miss as the horrible tragedy unfolded.

Social media chatter intensified as people absorbed the news. Sadly, fake news stories about the shooting were also prominent online.

Social media is part of our lives and it’s an important communication tool if used correctly.

But inappropriate comments on social media, especially after a tragedy like Las Vegas, can damage an individual’s reputation and the organisation they work for.

Inappropriate comments can lead to social media storms that are sometimes hard or impossible to control.

Damage control

Viral PR disasters occur regularly on social media.

The shocking news quickly spread worldwide that thousands of people had been sprayed with bullets at a Las Vegas music festival, killing many and injuring hundreds.

In the immediate wake of the Las Vegas massacre, a high-ranking CBS employee made insensitive social media comments. Those comments left the media giant in damage control and the person unemployed.

Hayley Geftman-Gold worked as a vice president and senior legal counsel at CBS, New York. This was her Facebook post:

Image Source: @Breaking911

In response to the public outrage over the comments, CBS swiftly terminated her employment, stating:

“This individual, who was with us for approximately one year, violated the standards of our company and is no longer an employee of CBS,”…“Her views as expressed on social media are deeply unacceptable to all of us at CBS. Our hearts go out to the victims in Las Vegas and their families.”

Ms Geftman-Gold later issued her own personal apology:

Image Source: Mediaite

It’s amazing that a lawyer, working for one of the world’s largest broadcasters, wasn’t aware of the ramifications her social media comments would have.

Organisations need social media protocols

This incident highlights the need for businesses to have social media protocols in place and ensure all staff and contractors understand those protocols.

Social media is prolific and often the source of news stories. It’s here to stay.

Businesses must take social media communications seriously, especially when employees act contrary to corporate values.

Staff should be aware of their employer’s social media rules and they should also understand the consequences for online actions that threaten reputations.

Information Only

Any information presented on our website is of a general nature only and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice.

Further Assistance

If you want to know more about how Corporate Media Services’ training programs can help you make the most of your media opportunities and avoid the danger zones, contact Corporate Media Services for more information. Email your enquiry now to info@corporatemediaservices.com.au or call 1300 737 913

Sources

Twitter

The Washington Post

Fox News

Mediaite

LifeHacker