6 Steps to Follow When the Media Calls

“Hello.This is Sally Smith, I’m a reporter at the Local Times. I just spoke with the family member of one of your residents and I had a few questions about an incident that happened at your facility earlier this week.”

If you’re like most skilled nursing leaders, receiving a call like this is something you dread. And with good reason – in any given day, skilled nursing executives juggle a heavy workload to ensure that each and every resident in their facility receives the quality care they deserve. Receiving a call from a reporter with probing questions can at best seem disruptive, and at worst, may leave you feeling flustered, under attack or unsure of yourself.

At Trifecta Public Strategies, one of the things we consistently remind our clients is that they have control over how they engage with media. In fact, in each of our media training sessions we share our ‘Interviewees Bill of Rights,” which outlines proactive steps that can be implemented prior to and during media interviews to maintain control over the conversation. But let’s start at the beginning – what can you do to retain control when you receive an unsolicited media inquiry? It’s as easy as being polite and following six simple steps:

1.      Request the reporter’s name, phone number and email address. Double-check the spelling of the name and email address, as well as their phone number. A letter or number off on an email or phone number can turn into “ABC Nursing Home could not be reached for comment” or “declined to comment” and that was not the case at all.

2.      Verify the name of the media outlet that the reporter is calling from to determine if this is a print, TV, radio or an online media inquiry.

3.      Ask for the reporter’s deadline.

4.     Ask the reporter to share with you what they are calling about in an effort to determine the nature of the call. Ideally, ask if they can share their questions. Please note – it is possible that a reporter won’t share questions with you. The most important thing is to ask. Do not respond to the questions or get talked into providing a statement. Reiterate that you will provide the information to your manager and communications department.

5.      Share that your organization will follow-up as soon as possible. If you can’t forward the inquiry along to your PR counterpart due to travel or other delays - tell them as much. Then, notify your PR department.

[NOTE: There is a high probability, the reporter didn’t start with you. They did call PR, first. But maybe they didn’t get the response they wanted or the reporter is searching for a willing person to interview or answer a few questions.]

6.      Thank the reporter for the opportunity to provide a comment and reiterate that someone will be in touch soon. 

And believe it or not - that’s it. No need to say more or feel compelled to answer anything on the spot. If you follow these six steps, you are taking control of the conversation. By securing this basic information you have been responsible, reasonable and professional. Be sure to quickly provide this information to your PR folks so they can make good on the commitment to respond, in some way.

Trifecta Public Strategies has managed media relations surrounding more than 1,500 critical events in the healthcare, tech, legal and cybersecurity industries. We address crisis situations ranging from employee deaths, tragic events, product recalls, executive blunders and data security breaches. We’d love to learn more about your organization and how we may be able to help your staff become advocates for your business.

[Note: Trifecta Public Strategies content is for informational use only and is not intended to serve as legal, clinical, or compliance counsel.]