 |
||
 |
||
|
|
 |
|
|
When it comes to dealing with the press, many executives are reactive. They don't worry about media relations until a crisis hits - then they can't understand why they take such a beating. In his new book, "Manage the Media (Don't Let the Media Manage You)," William J. Holstein offers advice that can help CEOs better prepare for the almost inevitable media scrutiny. Getting on the wrong side of the media can cost a company more than just its reputation. A loss of customers, vendor relationships and cash flow can result from a bungled crisis. Many CEOs put their company in this position because they don’t know how to communicate with the media, according to Holstein. “The vast majority of CEOs worked their way up the corporate hierarchy through different fields such as engineering, manufacturing or finance, and they’ve never had any direct exposure to the communications function,” Holstein says. “They’ve had very little exposure to the media, they don’t understand how to evaluate effective communication ... or hire the right people with the right communications skills. So when they come under fire by the media, they don’t know what they’re doing.” He recommends that being proactive in both traditional and social media relations is a key to improving relationships with the media. “When you find someone or a pattern of negative things being said about you, then you need to respond to that,” according to the author. “Either by getting your positive message across and thereby creating a greater balance in the dialogue, or by reaching out to the people who are saying negative things and trying to reason with them.” As an an award-winning editor, author, and journalist on subjects affecting chief executive officers and boards of directors, Holstein is well qualified to dispense advice on managing media relationships. In his book he covers a range of topics, including:
|
||
 |
||
