President Nixon's statement, “I am not a crook,” is the classic example of how this works. The operative word in his statement was “crook” and he implanted it in people's minds forever.
Dealing With the News Media
Probably one of the scariest parts about dealing with any crisis for most people is dealing with the news media. Will they try to trap me? Will they report accurately? Will they portray my organization and me fairly? Here are some things to remember:
- The media is neither your friend or foe. They are just people doing a job. As in your job field, there are some who do it well and others who do it poorly. Most of that is out of your control, however. Just strive to relax and do the very best you can.
- Remember, you control the timing. Just because a reporter calls you on the phone does not mean you have to respond right then. If you are not ready to respond, be courteous, ask about the reporter's deadline and then arrange a time to call back - even if its in just 10 or 15 minutes. This will allow you to collect your thoughts, review your message and ask the Lord to speak through you.
- You also control what you say. Do not feel pressured to say more than you are prepared to say. A question can be asked in multiple ways but you can only be quoted on what you say. A good technique is to listen for the overall topic of the question and respond to the topic rather than get tied up in a negatively phrased question. For instance, to the “gotcha” question, “Have you stopped beating your wife yet?” you might respond, “Spouse abuse is a terrible problem in our society and our hearts go out to all those who have experienced it.”
- Avoid saying “no comment.” Hiding from the media or just saying “no comment” almost always hurts you because it leaves the media without any message from your side of things and makes it seem as if you are hiding something. Many times, however, you are pretty limited in what you can say for legal liability reasons. In these situations, at least say something that expresses concern. For instance, “We're just now gathering information about that and hope to be able to share more later,” or “We have a deep concern about this situation. I don't have any information that I can share at this point.”
Then say whatever message you have developed.
- Stay on message. It's easy to get off track and begin speculating. This is why it's important to write your message down.
- Do your best to maintain a good attitude even if the reporter is rude or if you think the question is inappropriate. This will become harder as fatigue sets in. Your tone of voice and body language is very important. Remember, that this is not only a crisis but also an opportunity to bring glory to the Lord by the way you and your organization responds to adversity.
- Finally, be fair with the news media and give the same information to everyone. Playing favorites will only come back to bite you. Again, these are folks who are simply seeking to do their jobs.
Crisis Recovery
I wish that I could tell you how long you may have to be in crisis mode but you should begin working on recovery even while you are in the midst of it.
The length of your crisis will be determined by the events and the severity of the situation. If there are legal issues, the crisis may smolder and flare up periodically as arrests, trials and appeals run their courses. Sometimes there are secondary issues that extend a crisis. For instance, a building fire could be followed by lawsuits from an injured individual or new media stories about fire code violations.
The best you can do is to keep praying and keep on keeping on. If possible, continue holding services or doing the work of your ministry despite the distraction of the crisis. Learn from what has happened. Change policies and procedures if necessary or take other corrective actions.
This is hard but you have to accept that damage has been done to your church or ministry. That can't be undone so you have to accept that. No amount of public relations or good works can just make it go away.
Therefore you have to move on. Continue the work that God has given you to do. Time is a great healer.
Pray that your church will not ever need a crisis management plan. But prepare as if you'll need it today!
