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Pastimes : DC Sniper - Theories? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Cage Rattler who wrote (2700)	11/1/2002 9:21:35 AM
From: Cage Rattler	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2746

Interesting retrospective taken from Jane's <<25 October 2002 Washington sniper case demands effective media relations By Jessica Duda, Washington DC The press coverage of the recent sniper shootings in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia has focused a great deal of attention on the police and emergency services’ media relations. Law enforcement officers, public officials and reporters have struggled to communicate effectively with each other and to meet common goals in ending the crisis. While the sniper attacks are unique, the case possesses characteristics common to emergencies: Confusion surrounds on the incident: massive traffic disruption, school and business closings and an ever growing media presence has occurred with each shooting Events escalate: each shooting has added new victims and new challenges to the ongoing investigation as well as new speculation from the media On-scene response is critical: the emergency services’ focus on saving the victim, searching for the shooter and combing the incident area for evidence Information is initially wrong, conflicting and tends to arrive in sudden bursts: press reports on suspects, witnesses, evidence and other leaks from emergency services are often unconfirmed. Difficulties arise in separating confirmed information from discredited information, such as the reports of a white van at the scene of several shootings. Public interest soars: Fox News’ 11 October sniper coverage had 1.3 million viewers. CNN covered other issues that night and garnered only 859,000 viewers. CNN then reported exclusively on the case the next night, attracting 1.7 million viewers. External influence is unavoidable: reporters, politicians, commentators, regulators and other bystanders – many of whom know little about the operation – comment on the law enforcement response and impact the overall message. This in turn, influences public perception of the their safety and authorities’ credibility. Media trends Advances in communications technology have significantly increased media response times, access to different sources of information and competition. Public demand for information on terrorist attacks such as those on 11 September 2001 and the anthrax cases has also accelerated press response to all security-related incidents. Because of these factors, local, national and international media may arrive at an incident before or at the same time as the emergency services to obtain information and site access. As the crisis continues but does not yield new information, the media focuses on expert commentary. These experts may criticize the on-going management of the crisis and speculate on the sniper’s profile and cause. The sniper incidents illustrate how the heightened security environment, public interest and media competition pressures require specific crisis communications procedures. Crisis communications response procedures These procedures will help emergency services respond to incidents that generate intense media interest such as the sniper case: Use a principal spokesperson: designate a communications officer to inform the media of the basic incident details and briefing schedules. Have senior operations spokespeople engage the media only for milestone announcements. Notify families first: do not discuss injuries or deaths until families of the victims have been notified. Shield these individuals from being interviewed due to uncertain security situation and possible physical and mental condition(s). Establish order and credibility: the public accepts that crises occur but will not tolerate inaccurate information, mixed messages, unwarranted silence or evasiveness Be the first source of information: release verified information immediately to support the response effort and public need for information. Otherwise, the media will find another source, such as an outside expert or opponent to the organization, to meet their deadlines. Be clear about what is not confirmed: never speculate and explain that certain information may not be verified. Monitor media in order to respond to rumours, leaks and inaccurate information. Manage press conferences effectively: reserve press conferences for important announcements and limit them to two a day. Otherwise, issue press releases to confirm the facts of the situation and actions taken to resolve the crisis. Issue key messages as sound-bites: messages should consist of 10-12 word sound- bites that convey: concern, the official position on the nature of the incident and dedication to the response effort. Repeat and relate key messages to the overall response objective. Do not discuss undetermined issues: focus on the evolving issues at hand. Address issues such as damages, cause and blame after completing the investigation. Remember the public, not the media, is the real audience Avoid using messages that could lead to ‘copy cat’ acts: avoid offering step-by-step details of the incident to avoid glorifying the perpetrator. Use key messages to advance the recovery mission, not the terrorist goals. Create or strengthen existing relationships with the press: foster relationships with reporters, editors and producers covering the incident as they may also report future events related to the emergency After the incident, the community will desire information on follow-up events, such as a post- incident analysis of lessons learned and improvements, court case developments and/or anniversary events. The following procedures will facilitate the organization’s follow-up to the incident: Publicise the event: inform the media and community members of the event in a press release and on the organization’s website Distribute background material: provide material with relevant details about the original event before and at the event The guidelines in this article are adapted from the Jane’s Crisis Communications Handbook (December 2002), that provides comprehensive and practical procedures to assist corporate and public media relations personnel to work with the media before, during and after emergencies.>>