A total of 118 members of PRSA, IABC and CSPRC and their guests had crisis management "on the brain" when they met Jan. 13 at the Sheraton Clayton Plaza for the annual January get-together of the three organizations.

This year, a panel comprising a public relations consultant, a member of the media, an attorney and a camp director who was involved in a crisis provided the basis of a discussion, after which those in attendance were able to have their questions answered.

Charlie Caspari, former executive director of Sherwood Forest Camp, began the panel discussion by sharing the decisions that were made when a lawsuit involving a crisis involving four campers. He shared that initially the strategy the camp was to employ was to not say anything, but then agreed to an interview with a TV station - Charlie only answered questions about the camp, and the camp's attorney answered questions about the lawsuit.

Jamie Allman Sherwood: Denise Bentele Heintz DBHeintz2:

Denise Bentele Heintz, APR, president/CEO of Common Ground Public Relations and former PRSA-St. Louis chapter president, provided very valuable information as the public relations consultant on the panel. Here are some of the hints she shared:

* The most important thing that we in public relations manage is information.
* Keep in mind that the media is only one medium for getting your message to your audiences - don't forget the needs of your internal audiences and don't neglect your Web site.
* If needed, you can also buy advertising to get your message communicated.
* When answering questions, make sure you are honest and "human."
* You are most comfortable with the message you want to share - the best person to communicate that message is you.

The attorney on the panel, Steve Schwartz of Brown & James PC, shared that it's important to remember that Miranda rights are applicable when talking with the media - anything you say to them can be used against you in court. He recommended that the spokesperson be either the company attorney or an independent spokesperson (consultant).

Jamie Allman of KMOV-TV Channel 4 and 97.1 FM served as the media representative on the panel. Allman continually used recent crises in his examples when describing the role of the media and the role of public relations in making sure that the media covers the crises in the most favorable light possible. For instance, he said that he thought Laidlaw Bus acted correctly by electing to speak to the media rather than hiding behind the threat of a lawsuit in response to the Jan. 12 bus accident in the Parkway School District. But he did share that there were times, albeit few, when he realized that a faxed statement or a refusal to speak was in the best interests of a company, especially if a lawsuit was impending.

Perception and honesty were key elements mentioned by both Heintz and Allman. Heintz pointed out that apologies when mistakes occur are always good. Allman said he didn't like seeing an attorney sitting next to any spokesperson as it gave the appearance that there was something to hide. While organizations need to confer with their legal advisers when unexpected things happen, they can always ask a reporter in advance what he or she is going to be asking. And they can develop statements that don't look like they're taking the fifth.

The next PRSA luncheon meeting, Friday, Feb. 27, is part of the annual Pro-Am day at Saint Louis University. Please continue to check the PRSA-St. Louis Web site for information about the speaker and the luncheon program. And look for e-mail notices if you are on our distribution list.