Social Media Crisis Response, Lori Miller WHNT News 19
1. Lori Miller
WHNT News 19
@lorimillerwhnt
SOCIAL MEDIA
CRISIS RESPONSE
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9. hoax talent and hoax station accounts
website failure / server failure
copyright infringement / litigation
retransmission disagreements > blackouts,
public name-calling, etc.
FCC violations– contest material term
breaches, public file violations, etc.
contest legal challenges
prize problems with contests or offers
public outcry over commercial content
breach of advertising contract
billing issues
publicity release violations for commercials
accident at the station
accident on location
workplace violence
protesters
kidnapping / extortion
invasion / station takeover
non-employee illegal entry
inappropriate social media post
WHNT vs personal post accident
open microphone accident on-air
inappropriate release of behind scenes footage
arrests – DUI, assault, drug possession, abuse
talent termination
legal issues - bankruptcy, breach of contract
allegations of wrongdoing
public grousing
unprofessional behavior
personal opinion affecting station objectivity
error in reporting > slander / liable claims
allegations of bias
weather / reporting error > injury, damage
incoming phone call error > injury, damage
release of confidential information
hacked WHNT accounts
blocked access to WHNT accounts
SCENARIOS
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11. Things that Get Posts Deleted or Get People Banned from
Facebook
• Strong offensive language
• Racism
• Threats
• Falsely identifying themselves as WHNT employees or
charitable organizations
• Endless self-promotion “We cut trees. Call us, our
number is …”
• Personal phone numbers “Call me, my number is …”
(judgment call)
• Explicit sexual innuendo
POLICY EXAMPLES
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12. Things We Don’t Necessarily Like, But We Tolerate:
• Mild offensive language (hell, damn)
• Mild name calling (“you idiot”)
• References to other stations (even if frequent)
• Negative comments about our station, coverage, mets “Oh
no, [anchor] is lecturing again…” or “your team should be
ashamed…you call this news?”
• Combative, provocative or frequent off-topic comments “if
you claim to be a Christian then you'd understand the
concept of grace.”
POLICY EXAMPLES
“Use your best judgment, but
lean toward tolerance.”
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15. Team Lead
Spokesperson
Media Queries / Log
Web Lead
Social Media Lead
Monitoring Online
Monitoring Broadcast
External Writing (talking points, releases)
Telephone Response
Email Response
TEAM RESPONSIBILITIES
17. To achieve great things,
two things are needed --
a plan, and not
quite enough time.
Leonard Bernstein
18. THREE KEY ELEMENTS OF A DRILL
POLICY:
Does your policy specifically address this scenarios?
How would we have responded differently?
Have all employees seen the plan?
Can everyone find it?
PLANNING:
Are the instructions clear?
Did they start at the right place?
What additional processes or policies would have helped?
Do you list your partners and contact information?
Could you respond within an hour?
PEOPLE
Do they understand the boundaries?
Who slowed the process down?
Did people stay within their roles?
Do they lack useful skill sets?
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19. WHNT created a Facebook page in August 2008.
How might we handle things if this scenario
happened today?
31. • Don’t delay (“I don’t know” is still an answer)
• Keep it human
• Empathize
• Keep it short
• Reply with links to official statements
• Clarify and correct misinformation
• Use viewers first names
• Take it offline if appropriate
• Use subheads if scanning is important (disaster
response)
RESPONSE TACTICS
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