Rev. Stephen Mead Johnson
Rev. Joel Miller
Deborah Weiner
In this workshop designed to head off communication crises before they occur, four experts shared their experiences and advice with an audience of religious professionals and lay leaders on Monday, June 28 at the Salt Palace. The Rev. Stephen Mead Johnson, minister of the UU Fellowship of Laramie, WY, and the Rev. Joel Miller (right), minister of the Columbine Unitarian Universalist Church of Littleton, CO, shared their "baptism by fire" media experiences this past year as snapshots of methods to manage crisis communication in the electronic age. With assistance from Helio Fred Garcia, senior consultant with Clark & Weinstock, the internationally-known crisis communication firm based in New York and Washington, the panel, moderated by Debbie Weiner, Director of Electronic Communication for the Unitarian Universalist Association, offered guidelines for dealing with the media during a crisis.
It's important to prepare your congregation before a crisis that brings media attention, emphasized Weiner: talk about who will be the congregation's spokesperson and under what conditions. Take time to create a clear statement of the congregation's position and don't be swayed from it. Know your local media; they can be helpful.
Rev. Johnson was in his first weeks of his first ministry when the Shepard tragedy occurred, but, he said, he "had some very useful baggage when he arrived in Laramie." A strong public affairs background as former Vice-President of Hill & Knowlton, the largest public affairs agency in the country, a stint as a journalist, and some political experience gave Johnson a tremendous skill set for dealing with the crisis in Laramie. He felt public relations and regular media contact was a major part of settling in to his ministry in Laramie, and wanted to raise the visibility of the fellowship and the denomination in Laramie. He was engaged in that process when tragedy struck.
When Matthew Shephard died, Johnson immediately shifted gears into his crisis communication and management mode. Shepard, an gay Episcopalian student at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, was brutally beaten and subsequently died, last October. Seeing 17 trucks with satellite dishes in the small town of Laramie "is scary," said Johnson; "so is being invaded by media with activists on both sides of a very controversial issue." Johnson guided his church through the media invasion and used the tension as an opportunity to offer education to the community through the media. The Laramie Fellowship intentionally staked out a pro-homosexual position. The UUA helped the Laramie Fellowship erect a website which has been invaluable, said Johnson.
Rev. Joel Miller, a cradle UU, deeply grounded in his faith and his ministry in Littleton, Colorado, said that his congregation stands two blocks from the school where the Columbine shootings occurred last April. He spent the afternoon of the shootings with the parents of school children, and then returned to make sure that his own congregation's children were unharmed. In short order, he was besieged by media requests. Miller emphasized that in doing interviews, he always had two messages to convey: a primary and a secondary one for back up. He practiced five ways to convey his first message on his way to the interview. "Guns are not a good way to solve problems," became his mantra.
After the initial round of interviews, Miller became busy with memorial services and meetings with area clergy and families. He found, he said, that the support of the UUA's Electronic Communication Office, in putting up his thoughts (through the "Littleton Diary") helped, as did an electronic book of condolences and support messages directed to members of his congregation. Meanwhile, Miller left notes of support for the families of the boys who had perpetrated the crimes in Littleton, and the media found the notes and contacted Miller. Some members of the press, he says, he "threw out of my office." But when he granted an interview, notably one with NBC's "Today" show, he "stuck to the message of my religion," and, he says, it served him well. When asked why he left notes for the Kliebold and Harris families, he chose not answer, and instead, talked about the importance of the Unitarian Universalist faith tradition. He relentlessly allowed no conversation about members, would give no names, and refused media coverage of worship and memorial services.
Helio Fred Garcia (left), a consultant who advises groups, including the UUA, on how to handle crisis, finds that "business is booming." For Unitarian Universalist congregations, issues like racism and our welcoming congregation stance can bring the media frenzy into play. "Journalism," Garcia said, "is like sausage. You don't want to see it being made if you want to eat it."
Journalism upholds three core values, he pointed out: fairness, accuracy and balance, but the definitions of these words vary widely. Congregations, on the other hand, need to understand that reporters are looking for the four "C words" to create a story:
- Conflict
- Contradiction
- Controversy
- Colorful language
A colorful statement about a controversy which offers a contradictory point of view is the ideal news story, Garcia said. And if the media can find a personal twist to the story or a person within the institution willing to talk off the record, it will advance the story further. Garcia cautioned those present to work to prevent conflict by not playing into the four "C's." "When the media arrive," he said, "they engage in a feeding frenzy. Reporters want to be first, and often have to choose between being first and being right." Therefore, Garcia cautioned, be careful about placing trust where it doesn't belong. The press is often inaccurate in the interest of being first, and despite your inner urges, "Do not correct the inaccuracies, because it can feed the frenzy. Remember," he urged, that "You have control. Keep your message accurate and focused."
Deb Weiner summarized the presentations and offered some practical hints for dealing with the media in a crisis. Remain calm and don't scream at the reporter (these seem simple, she said, but may be a tall order in the midst of the storm). "Don't concentrate on correcting the record. Don't engage in combat, stay focused on what you need to say." And she urged, "Do some preparation, so that if crisis occurs, you are ready."
As leaders, Weiner said, "you need to raise and answer the following questions:
- Who speaks for the congregation, and in what situations? The minister may speak in some cases, a lay leader in another.
- What is the message you wish to consistently convey?
- How can your congregation proactively protect itself from attack?"
