Engaging the media during a foodborne illness outbreak

When it comes to a restaurant crisis, “The biggest failure most companies have is failing to prepare,” says Mark Hazlin, Senior Vice President, Xenophon Strategies, a public relations and crisis management firm in Washington, D.C. “But, once in a crisis, the biggest thing most companies get wrong is that they’re afraid to engage.”

Here are some tips on how to manage messaging during a crisis and keep the focus on what’s important, the safety of your customers and the community.

Prepare in advance

• Invest the time and resources to develop a crisis management program, including a crisis communications plan.
• Draft template materials in advance to save time in the heat of the situation, Hazlin says. These might include a press statement, FAQ sheets on causes of foodborne illness, etc.

Keep your message consistent

• Designate a single spokesperson. Funneling the narrative through one person gives the media a single point of contact and keeps the message consistent. Be sure to appoint an alternate in case your point person is unavailable when a crisis develops.
• Develop a media statement. Write a brief statement that explains the situation and how your restaurant is handling it, making it clear that the welfare of customers and the community is your priority. Make sure legal counsel reviews it before you release it. 
• Instruct employees not to speak to media, but to politely refer all questions to the company spokesperson. Be sure to let employees know what’s going on at the same time you issue statements to the media, if not before.

Just the facts, ma’am

• Get the facts straight in your statement and any subsequent statements you give to the media. “A misplaced word or phrase said in the heat of the moment can be all it takes to go viral, in a bad way,” Hazlin says. “Do not shoot from the hip.”
• Stick to the facts. If some information is confidential or proprietary and can’t be released, let the media know.
• If you don’t know, say so. Admit you don’t have all the answers, but let reporters know that you will follow up, and be sure that you do. Nix the “no comment” answer. It makes you look like you’re hiding something.
• Don’t respond to hearsay. You can’t control what others say or think. What you can do is simply restate the facts. 
• Stay ahead of the game. Go to the media as soon as you have information to share with the public. Manage the narrative and shape the story. Don’t wait for the media or disgruntled customers to spread rumors or unsubstantiated statements.

Make the media your ally

• Be proactive. Let the media know what you’re doing to investigate the situation. Do not claim responsibility. 
• Keep the media on speed dial. Make a list of media contacts. Whenever new facts develop or more information is available, issue a statement to all media contacts.
• Respond immediately. Don’t ignore the media when they call. If your spokesperson can’t answer calls directly, make sure they respond as soon as possible. 
• Enlist their help. The media is part of the community, too. Ask their help in keeping the public informed with facts not speculation, and in letting the public know you have the situation under control. 
• Keep your cool. Treat reporters with respect. Don’t repeat negative accusations made against the restaurant, but counter inaccuracies about your restaurant or the situation with facts. Consider everything you say to them as on the record.

Take responsibility, not culpability

• Align yourself with the public. Make your statements from the public's point of view, not the restaurant’s. Express your concern for the community’s welfare.
• Remind the media of your safety record, and how you are reinforcing best practices as a result of what you’re learning in your investigation.
• Consult and refer media to experts, if necessary. Let authorities like health department officials assist with statements on technical matters.
• Don’t cast blame, and never admit fault; crises can take years before being fully resolved.

Manage your social media feed

• Use the same statements on your website and social media platforms that you use for mainstream media. You can edit them to match your audience, but keep them serious, factual, honest, sincere, and human.
• Know what’s being said about your brand in real time. Invest in a social media reputation monitoring service if you don’t have one already. 
• Don’t respond to troll baiting or negative posts. Continue to post positive statements about what you’re doing to investigate, manage, and remediate the situation.
• Immediately shut down regularly scheduled posts and ads, both organic and paid. They can easily come across as tone-deaf and insensitive.

Dealing with a crisis is never easy, but good communication with the media and the public will help to get you through it.