
BEHIND THE CAMERAS: WORKING WITH THE MEDIA
MANAGEMENT
Improving your relationship with those who shape the images can pay dividends for your department.
We all have heard horror stories about the conflict between the media and the fire service. We have seen their adversarial relationship deteriorate to the point where the local media and emergency service no longer trust each other, much less cooperate. Who is to blame for k this condition? Surely both groups share the responsibility. The real question is, Who will take the first step toward reconciliation?
We live in a media-oriented society. Our lives revolve around what we learn from newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. We are witnesses to disasters, crime, and expressions of government and public opinion as they happen. These images shape our lives and bring us together as a people. This was never more evident than during the October 1989 earthquake in California. We watched as our fellow firefighters and EMS providers battled to save lives and property following a disaster that the world knew about as rapidly as it occurred.
IN THE SAME BUSINESS
Whether we choose to admit it or not, we are in the same business as the media—-serving the public. We protect the public and they inform it. The public demands and deserves these functions from both groups, and both tasks must be performed expediently – and professionally. What we do in the fire service is the public’s business. We are its servants, not the other way around. Whether you are a career or volunteer department, your funding is provided by the public, so it has a serious investment in your operation.
We have more common ground with the press than we realize. Look at the structures of both groups: The ultimate responsibility for fire protection rests with the fire chief, while the responsibility for accurately informing the public rests with the editor. Chiefs and editors both set the goals for their organizations and, with their subordinate structures, carry out these goals.
Assignment and copy editors translate these goals into action plans; company level officers are charged with the same task in the fire department. Firefighters and reporters do the legwork and accomplish the objectives. If you could transfer the responsibilities, goals, and training of the two organizations, very little reorganization would be needed to establish a functioning system.
TAKE ThE FIRST STEP
I am sure that many chiefs and firefighters are reading this and shaking their heads, saying, “Sure, but you don’t know the__ that report the news in my district.” Such words as headhunters, gossip mongers, and opportunists come to mind.
Granted, I have witnessed a lot of had reporting. However, I also have seen a lot of officers who did not take the time to talk with the media and discuss the facts. Faced with a lack of quality information, some reporters gather what facts they can and draw their own picture. Both are at fault here and both fail the public they serve. To provide the best service possible, both the fire department and the news agency administrations need to be accessible to each other.
If your department has had trouble working with the press in the past, you must make an effort to improve relations. The fire service should be willing to take this first step, as we have a lot more to gain than lose from an atmosphere of mutual cooperation and respect. The local media has great influence on the opinions of the masses. It is better to have the reporters on our side than to have them waiting in the wings to point out our mistakes.
This does not mean that the media should cover up our mistakes; that is an unfair expectation. However, if they trust and believe in us, they will be more likely to print the explanations and reasons for our difficulties, such as the intense and rapidly changing conditions in which we operate. Often this will result in a forgiving public.
If you make the media a part of your camp during the good times, they will tend to be there for you when you need them; treat them as an enemy, and they will be forced to treat you as such. You must cultivate the relationship in advance. Do not contact the media only when you want to; take time out to help reporters who are interested in “routine” stories.
Be proactive in your approach. Do not wait for the press to come to you. A newsroom is a busy place. If you wait for a news director to contact you for an introductory cup of coffee, you may have a long wait. Or worse, that contact may come only after they have learned of alleged problems in your department. Obviously this is not the ideal time to establish a relationship.
The first step simply is to make contact. Ask the editors or news directors to meet with you, perhaps over lunch at a neutral location. Explain your operation to them and ask questions about theirs. Ask about ways that you can help them get information and tell them how they can help you on the scene of emergencies.
Adversity is often bred of ignorance. A mutual visit to each other’s facilities would be very beneficial. Visit a newsroom and ask to see how a news story is completed. An appreciation for the media’s problems in per-‘ forming their tasks gives insight into -how to interact with them. If your policies allow, let them ride along with your personnel to learn firsthand about your operation’s complexities.
The key to the relationship is honesty and sincerity. Make an initial commitment to yourself that you will not lie to reporters. If they learn of your deceit, it will shatter this vital element of trust. Allegations of coverups may result and may ultimately do even more damage. Seasoned report–ers are very adept at spotting fakes. They definitely will be an unwelcome part of your life if they feel that you are not being honest with them.
CHOOSE A PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER
Establish a contact person in your department. Needless to say, everyone in your organization should not be issuing statements to the public— eventually, a well-intended statement will be misunderstood or taken out of* context and will place you in an awkward position. Establish a public information officer (PIO) position for your department, whether volunteer or career. Choose an officer or memS ber who feels at ease in front of* cameras and tape recorders and who will present a positive image for your department.
PIOs always need to know the six main points of interest to the media: who, what, where, when, why, and how. Armed with this information, they should be able to field questions in an open-ended interview. However, make sure they realize that there is no harm in admitting “I do not know.” A promise to get back to the reporter is all that is expected of them.
Make sure that your PIO is wellversed in your goals and policies. He often has to think quickly, and the better informed he is the better he will be able to respond. He should be aware of administrative decisions so he can field any questions that may arise when details of such decisions are released to the public. After working with the media for awhile, a good PIO will learn to anticipate questions. Be willing to listen to your PIO.
The PIO should be an important part of your department’s Incident Command System. The ICS is most valuable at larger incidents, which naturally generate the most news coverage. Having a public information sector with someone assigned to handle this responsibility will make the command officer’s job easier.
INCLUDE MEDIA IN ACTIVITIES
Include members of the local media in your department activities—not just for the sake of a story but to show your appreciation. Invite them to awards banquets and dinners. It is , much easier for people to be fair with a group that they feel a part of. They often are willing to report on such stories as training, fund raising, accomplishments of members, and fire education efforts. The notion that they are interested only in bad news simply is incorrect. The best opportu-‘ nities for good public relations come from the daily efforts of your department—the activities that the public never sees.
Consider sponsoring a Media Day, on which reporters are given hands on experience typical of what you face every day. Early on in our careers we were told what it would be like to ” wear SCBA and be on the end of a line, but we didn’t really appreciate this knowledge until we had actually ex* perienced it.
The modern emergency service is a 3/8 business and must be run as such. Even though we may not operate for 3/8 profit, we still have a service to market: protection of the community. The best way to market this service is through the media. Their forum is the quickest and most economical way to get your message across to the community. Educating the public abouU what is involved in providing quality service can be a real asset in budget battles, special projects, and efforts to recruit personnel.
The media can be an invaluable ‘ friend or a very formidable foe. For, the most part, it is up to us to make this choice and shape the relationship into one that will help both our department and the community.