Share on Social Media

One of the public information officer’s (PIO) essential functions is to handle media requests and communications, preventing them from distracting the incident commander. Use these tips to prepare for and respond effectively to the media.

Have media contact lists.

• Develop a media contact list with after-business hours contact information, email addresses and websites.
• Have multiple, durable copies that can be immediately accessed during a disaster.
• Review and update all contact lists every six months.

Have a Go Kit on hand. 

• Have essential items prepared and accessible at all times. These can include, but are not limited to: office supplies like pens and paper; a laptop and portable printer; television, radio and broadcast recording equipment; emergency operations plan (EOP); a battery-powered radio and pre-scripted messages and template releases.

Develop a working relationship before a disaster.

• Invite local media into your emergency operations center (EOC) prior to an incident to show them the location and outline a strategy for how you will inform them in the event of a disaster.
• Invite local media to participate in your planning drills and exercises.

Be prepared for the demands of local elected officials. 

• Local officials will almost always show up at the disaster site to give an interview with the local media; be prepared with at least one PIO on-site to help manage local officials and ensure their message is consistent with incident command’s.

Prepare local elected and appointed officials pre-interview.

• Coach local elected and appointed officials to focus on efforts being made and resources being used, and to stick to the facts – if they don’t know an answer, they should avoid speculation at all costs.
• Encourage them to focus on the care and concern aspect of the message and leave the details of recovery for emergency management to communicate.

Don’t overwork the media. 

• Coordinate with neighboring cities, towns and the county to setup joint press conferences and media briefings to ensure all jurisdictions have ample media representation.
• Fill in the gaps after the press conference is over if any important information regarding your jurisdiction is not mentioned.
• Opening a Joint Information Center (JIC) can also mitigate this by creating a “one-stop shop” for the media.

Remember to accommodate special needs populations.

• Be prepared to have materials translated into common non-English area languages and other formats such as Braille, large print and audio.
• Include local specialized newspapers or radio stations that reach special needs audiences on your media contact list, and have contracts in place with other agencies that can assist, such as translation services.