It is your worst nightmare, you open the newspaper to find that the amazing article you pitched for your business has an error or worse still you don’t even know where the details have come from. Your business is wrongly accused of malpractice, it points to a competitor instead of you or features an image of a member of staff who you had to fire last week.
Journalists are only human so errors do sometimes occur but what do you do if the error is having an impact on your business?
When can you ask for it to be corrected and what can you do if something goes wrong?
We look at how to deal with errors about your business in the press.
- Take a minute to analyse the error before doing anything
It may sound simple but the first thing to do is to take a breath and try to read the content with a level head. What is inaccurate? Where have they had the information from? Is it factually incorrect or do you just not like the way it is written. Before you pick up the phone think about what you want to say and how you actually feel about the article. What would you like them to do about it?
2. Is it a journalist error or did the error come from somewhere else?
It is important to recognise where any error has occurred. If the information was supplied from a court proceeding, then the journalist can only use the information that is supplied in court they cannot add to it. This means you will need to speak to the courts if there is an error to try and prevent it happening again.
If it has come from a public meeting or something else that someone has said, then again this isn’t necessarily journalist error. Reporters can report on opinions that you do not share.
Have you got incorrect company details on the website? Not every ‘error’ is an error on the journalists part. It could be an alternative view from another business or organisation, errors in official documents or information online you didn’t even know existed about your company. If you are unclear where the information has come from ask the journalist to explain. Once you know how the error has occurred you are in apposition to put it right. It might be that you need to change company information on an old website, do some reputation management to prevent negative opinions being circulated or simply explain the error to the journalist so that they can correct it.
3. Talk to the journalist calmly without making demands
Wherever the error occurs the most likely way of improving the situation is to ask to talk to the journalist who wrote the article and explain your concerns. Be aware that most articles go through several editing processes so it might have been introduced later on in the process and not originated from the journalist. Try to stay calm and be clear in your explanation. If it is a matter of opinion rather than fact, then the media publication does not have to do anything. However, if you explain your concerns and are reasonable there is often a way of finding common ground.
If it is something that is factually incorrect, explain why and ask them to amend the article where possible. For print publications that might be running an additional story with the new details or if online simply amending the online version.
Be aware though that you need to be clear in your briefing to make sure that any amendments are correctly highlighted, and any additional stories benefit the company rather than being detrimental and labouring on misinformation.
4. Prevention is always the best cure
Once something is said or printed it can be very difficult to take it back. This often means the best way to prevent errors is to get professional advice in the first place. Once your company is perceived in a particular way changing that narrative can take time. Simple mistakes on images or wording can be costly as they can completely change the direction of a story.
By getting advice before approaching the media they can help to advice you of any risks and will be able to point out issues you might not see.
5. Know when to insist on a correction
Often people will say a media outlet has got errors when they don’t like the way something is written. Publications only need to address factual errors. They can share conflicting opinions or alternative points of view.
This is why PR is an art, and it is about more than just sending something out to get attention. Professional press releases and pitches are carefully crafted to maximise messaging and brand reputation. Often when you aren’t getting articles written in the way you want them to be it could be to do with the way you are communicating, the existing content or the current news cycle.
Seek advice as once you get bad press it can be difficult to manage and easily spiral without the correct guidance.
When your business is at the centre of bad press it can be difficult to manage and upsetting. However, it is always important to be clear on whether an article is factually incorrect, or you just don’t like the way something is written. Seeking professional PR support will help to manage your brand reputation and make sure your coverage is consistent and clear to deliver the correct message.
If you need any help making sure your message is clear so you get seen for all the right reasons then I would love to hear from you. Contact me at cheryl@creativeworpr.co.uk or call 07725 195642.
Creative Word PR 