Think about some of the big names in business and industry. Why do you remember them? Chances are, it’s for the wrong reasons. Maybe their names have been splashed across headlines because they were associated with a scandal involving sex, money, drugs or bullying?

It’s an unedifying fact about humans that we love salacious gossip. As American businessman and philanthropist Warren Buffett once said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.”

Despite our best intentions, things can and will go wrong in businesses, institutions and organizations. Tech failures, faulty products, creative accounting, workplace accidents, sexual harassment complaints and staff posting inappropriate videos on social media – it’s a minefield.

It’s not whether something will happen to your organization to tarnish your brand. It’s how you deal with it that will make or break your reputation. Gone are the days when CEOs could duck under their desks and wait until the storm passed. If you don’t deal with a crisis head-on, it can blow up in the media and become an even greater headache. Any perceived lack of sensitivity or willingness to accept blame will fuel public and political fury.

How to handle a media crisis

So, how do you handle a media crisis with integrity? When you have a plan, keep your cool, maintain transparent and sincere messaging and everyone in your organization sings from the same songbook, you can win back public trust sooner rather than later.

Of course, the worst of all crises is a fatal workplace accident. This is where the mettle of management is put to the test in the public arena.

When the Morandi Bridge collapsed in Genoa at the height of summer on 14 August 2018, the tragedy made headlines around the world. Forty-three people were killed, 16 were injured and 600 were left homeless when a 200-meter section of the bridge fell around 45 meters – almost the length of an Olympic swimming pool. The bridge was said to have collapsed due to inadequate maintenance.

Australian journalist, Josephine McKenna, now based in Rome, said the accident not only skewered Italy’s once proud engineering record; it exposed managerial incompetence and corruption that is still being played out in the courts. But it was the reaction of the company’s primary shareholder that added insult to injury.

Better known for its international clothing empire, the Benetton family owned a controlling share in Atlantia (now rebranded as Mundys) which managed the lucrative bridge and highway network, Autostrade per l’Italia. Gilberto Benetton, head of the family, did not face the media until nearly three weeks after the bridge collapse.

Asked where he was when he heard of the tragedy, Benetton told the Italian daily, Corriere della Sera: “I was on holiday, as I believe most Italians were. Then there was the catastrophe and everything changed; for us too there followed days of suffering and condolences.”

However, photos emerged of Benetton and his family partying in the upscale mountain resort town of Cortina, just a few hours after the bridge collapsed.

Asked by Italian reporters why he failed to make an immediate statement, Benetton said, “Where we come from, silence is considered a sign of respect. Work must go on for Genoa and its residents.”

Some 48 hours after the bridge disaster, the family’s holding company Edizione did issue a statement and sent condolences to the families of the victims. But the damage was done. The public and political backlash was harsh and swift. The Benettons’ seeming lack of empathy resulted in a drop in their company share price of around US$2 billion. And in 2021, one of Italy’s richest families relinquished control over Atlantia.

What PR lessons can we learn?

If a workplace accident or fatality occurs, issue a holding statement to the media and your staff within the first 30 to 45 minutes. A holding statement – either written or spoken – verifies the known facts and literally holds off the barrage of media enquiries until you have more information.

If officials such as police, firefighters, intelligence agencies or other government institutions are called in to investigate, you cannot speculate or say anything to the media or your staff that is not yet proven because you could inadvertently influence a future jury if the matter ends up in court.

In this case, the best policy is to respond to media enquiries with a holding statement: “I can’t comment on any of those details while police are examining the evidence and conducting interviews, however I can say we are doing X to secure the scene/protect the public/keep customers informed/cooperate with authorities.”

If you have a gaggle of journalists, photographers and camera crews camped on your doorstep, address them calmly and stick to your prepared messaging.

Leave the ‘why’ and ‘how’ the accident occurred for later, perhaps days or weeks later, for the inevitable news analysis and ‘what have we learned’ opinion pieces. You should also issue a written holding statement on your website and platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook. Issue a media release via a service such as Medianet, Scoop, Newswire or Business Wire.

Written holding statement example: “At 6 am this morning, our tech team at XYZ company alerted us to a cyber breach on our website. We believe some of our customers’ personal details may have been compromised. We don’t yet know whether that includes customer credit card details.

“We have a cyber team working around the clock to secure the site. For those customers who are concerned, we invite them to call this hotline or to stay up to date via our social media feed and website.”

The holding statement gives the media the bare facts, so they can file a story. If you don’t say anything, journalists will use guerrilla tactics to get information. They’ll camp outside your offices and ‘doorstop’ staff as they enter and leave the building.

Doorstopping is exactly as it sounds. A reporter with a microphone and maybe a camera will arrive unannounced to interrogate you or your staff as you enter or leave the building. I’ve doorstopped a couple of prime ministers, many politicians and a host of lawyers and citizens leaving courtrooms. It’s rarely a satisfactory experience for either party.

It’s best to be on the front foot and organize a media conference after the holding statement and when you have more useful information to divulge.

No matter what type of crisis may befall your company, be prepared. Know who will be your spokesperson and how you will respond. Media training is one of the smartest insurance policies you can invest in.

Opinions expressed by The CEO Magazine contributors are their own.