When the Spotlight Isn’t Welcome: Handling Issues Management in the Media

Media attention is not always by choice – sometimes it arrives when you least expect it, in the form of a negative or complex issue.

In these moments, communicating authentically is crucial. Our advice is to always respond with integrity, define your key messages, and workshop answers to questions – especially the tough ones – ahead of time.

We had a recent situation where a client was invited, late in the afternoon, to be interviewed about a potentially damaging issue on breakfast radio the following morning.

In their words, this is how we prepared them:

“You responded quickly, and you were up late into the evening, and we needed that in the time we had available to deal with the issue.”

“You were very professional and knowing you are ex-journalists was comforting and helpful. I had a few, I haven’t got an answer moments while we were running through potential questions the night before. So having the opportunity to workshop that, rather than face those difficult questions in a live radio interview, was very useful.”

“You helped us to look at our message and how best to convey it. You held our hand through that process in the 24 hours prior, which is exactly when we needed it to happen.”

“I was certainly glad to have had the preparation because I expect that my performance would have been much worse otherwise.”

Preparation, perspective and action form the foundation of our approach when navigating challenging media situations. With a team driven by dedication and expertise, we make sure our clients are supported and equipped to achieve the best possible outcome in difficult circumstances.