)Working with the Media

By Marisa DiBiaso, Project Assistant

Many municipal officials cringe when some- Tips for Dealing with the Mediaone from the media calls. The media often is given • Don't talk "off the record". Expect the publica bad reputation because of their determination to know about everything you say.when covering a story and their excitement asso- • Return calls to reporters in a timely fashion,ciated with crisis and misfortune. They may be a be aware of their deadline.nuisance while you're resurfacing roads or dealing • Don't guess if you can't respond to a ques-with a storm's aftermath. However, they can be an tion, especially if it's hypothetical.ally. Working with the media can make your job • Keep the audience in mind.and the reporter's easier. Effective media coverage • Correct yourself if you said something youcan gain public support. didn't mean to say.

This article will discuss the day to day use of • Make a media contact list, and appointthe media as well as working with them in a crisis for the

spokesperson as a contact personsituation.media.

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Interviews

Interviews are a useful tool to communicateexactly what you want the reporter to focus on.Use mock interviews to ensure that the spokesper­son is prepared. Anticipate the most probing andupsetting questions. Keep answers short and con­vincing; longer quotes are often edited. Don't'rush through the interview. If the spokespersoncannot answer a question, have them say so andrefer it to a person who is more qualified toanswer it. An answer of "no comment" is oftenmistaken for guilt. Remember that the spokesper-:son is speaking to the public, not just the inter­viewer. Therefore, do not use technical terms andabbreviations that may be unfamiliar to the aver­age person.

Day to Day

Media coverage can be to the Public WorksDepartment's advantage. A good relationship withthe media will ensure free publicity to a projectthat could use public support. The media cancommunicate your expectations. Useful items toreport are parking restrictions, emergency infor­mation, snow removal policies. Before road repairwork, newspaper articles can make rerouting moreconvenient for both the crew and the public. Ifmunicipalities publish

Road Business, Summer 2000, Vol. 15, No.2

their plans, then people can respond with theirconcerns and suggestions. Acknowledging publicfeedback leads to better public relations and coop­eration.

Crisis Situations

Preparation is key to ensuring the media helpsand not hinders during emergencies. Unforeseencrises, such as storms, often bring reporters. Keepprepared a press release on file, filling in theessential blanks, to ensure that the media gets thecorrect story. Appoint a spokesperson that is pre­pared to talk to reporters. Allow the media limited,safe access to the scene, so they can have animage for TV or the newspaper. Do not denyreporters information concerning the public. Betruthful or they will get the information fromunreliable sources.

Remember that lack of preparation makes thedifference between accurate coverage that makespublic works looks good and inaccurate coveragethat makes the department look bad. Accuratenews coverage of a crisis wins favor with thepublic. They see the crisis as being resolved andthe effort that the crew is making. Work with themedia to develop an alliance that benefits bothparties and opens the lines of communication withthe public. This alliance can be an invaluable assetto any project.

Sources on page 11

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Milestones:

Ron Basha is working in New Boston as anEquipment Operator.

Patrick Smith is the new Road Agent in Milton .

John Starkey, Public Works Director, Amherstwas appointed a member of the Board of Directorsfor New Hampshire Good Roads Association.

Rich St. Hilare has returned to Kingston as theRoad Agent.

Alan Thoroughgood is the new Road Agent inWentworth.

Correction: Ken Daniels is the new Public Works Directorin Enfield. The Highway Superintendent is Gerald "Joe"Lashua.

Websites:There are many helpful websites for public

works employees. If you have others that yourcolleagues could benefit from, send the urls tot2.center@unh.edu. We'll publish the site andyour name in Road Business. (No commercial sitesplease).

UNH T2 Center: http://www.t2.unh.edu

Information accounting practices GASB 34http://www.rutgers.edu/Accounting/raw/gasb/

Govworks: http://www.govworks.coml

Merriam Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus on­line http://www.m-w.comlhome.htm

NHDOT:http://www.state.nh.us/dotlindex.htrnl

Search the web using two of Kathy 's favoritesearch engines: Northern Lightshttp://www.northernlight.comlsearch.htrnland googlewww.google.com

Road Business, Summer 2000, Vol. 15, No.2

National Cooperative Highway Research Program(NCHRP) Report 350 on Roadside Hardwarehttp://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadside/

Transportation Research Board Document Searchhttp://tris.amti.comlsearch.cfm

UNH Weather Stationhttp://www.weather.unh.edu/

Sources from page 3 article

Sources:"Mastering Media Interview s", The Connection, SD LTAP, Vol. 04, Issue

04 Winter, 1992"Public Relations for Winter Operations", Technology Transfer, CT LTAP,

Vol. 12, Issue 4, 1995"Working with the Media", Technolo gy Transfer Ouarterly, Vol. 10, Issue

3, 1995"Working with the Media, Not Against It", Mass Interchange, MA LTAP,

Vol. 08, Issue 03 Spring , 1994

PW.NET

Want to know what is happening in other towns?Need a place to ask questions of other publicworks officials? Want to be the first to receivenotifications of UNH T2 Center workshops? Then,subscribe to PW.NET. It 's free. Send an emailmessage to: kathy.desroches@unh.edu

In the body of the message type:Add pw.net your name

For instance:

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