In a recent story on Fox News 31, a board president apparently issued a “no comment” statement when contacted by the reporter. What would you do if contacted by a reporter? Given the amount of negative publicity surrounding associations your first response might be “no comment” as well. However, with a little planning and forethought, you might have an opportunity turn negative publicity into positive or at least factually correct publicity. When contacted by a reporter the best course of action is to follow a few upfront steps:
- Don’t answer questions “on the fly.”
- Do ask the reporter when is your deadline?
- Ask the reporter when can I call you back?
- Ask who else is being interviewed?
- Develop key message then call the reporter back.
For more details on how to deal with the media see our article entitled “Disruptive Owners and the HOA; Dealing with Government; and Dealing with the Media.”