Question

Step 1- Choose one of the following scenarios:

Stage collapse at an outdoor concert (No deaths, 50 in hospital with minor injuries

An awards event happened at a local hotel and 5 people are in hospital with food poisoning

Theft by an employee at a non-profit

4. Drunk driving charge by a politician

5. COVID-19 outbreak at a hospital (we will downplay this from the current situation)

Step 2 – Complete each of the following items based on the scenario that you have chosen

You are the public relations director for one of the above scenarios and you know that within days negative headlines and TV news stories will appear throughout the local news.

a. What do you do first?

b. What public are you most concerned with?

c. How will you respond to the media?

d. Why is it important that you respond?

1. Pretend you are holding a press conference to provide information to the media and public in room 246 at TCC on April 13th at 10 am.

1. Write a media advisory to encourage the media to cover your press conference

2. Anticipate questions that you would receive from the media at the press conference

1. Write down potential questions from the media and prepare the answers applying the readings you reviewed in this module to your responses.

3. Develop 2-3 key message points and a sound bit to provide to the reporter

4. Write a press release that would be sent out to your media contacts after the press conference.

Answer 1

Step 1: Choice of Scenario: COVID 19 outbreak at a Hospital. .

Stage 2:

(a) What do you do first ?

Answer : Inform local authorities about the incident and instruct hospital staff to redirect all upcoming queries by media persons and public to the public relations team and not to disclose information by themselves causing confusion and panic among people. Prepare a list of mandatory do's and don'ts with respect to crisis management and containment procedure and dissemination of information. Hold a hospital staff meeting and hand over the do's and don'ts list to all staff members.

(b) What public are you most concerned with ?

Answer : As Public Relations Director people of greatest concern are local authorities and family members of patients (both infected with COVID 19 and not infected) within the hospital who need to be informed about their patients.

(c) How Will you respond to media ?

Answer : A press release will be developed at the earliest by PR team and after being approved by medical experts of the hospital the same shall be given to media at a press briefing, simultaneously informing them to present the information after cross checking facts and figures with experts at hospital and local authorities while also addressing questions that they ask.

(d) Why is it important that you respond ?

Answer: It is of utmost importance to respond to media to ensure that all information disseminated is verified and accurate so as to not cause confusion and panic among public at large due to broadcast of information that is factually incorrect and inflammatory which may create law and order problems in the area and elsewhere.

Media Advisory : Members of press and media fraternity are requested to make themselves available for a press briefing at room 246 at TCC on April 13th at 10 am for information on cases of some people at our Hospital A having been found positive for COVID 19 disease after complaining of uneasiness and influenza like symptoms. The infected people have been isolated and local authorities and family members of infected people have been informed. Other people present at hospital are being quarantined until test results from their samples are confirmed. Pending this no one is allowed to leave or enter the hospital premises. All questions regarding this shall be addressed during press briefing.   

Media Question 1: Name and number of infected patients.
Answer : The identity of the patients shall not be disclosed until approval from authorities, patients and family members of the patients have been received to respect their privacy. The total number of cases shall be reported once test results for all other people present at hospital are available.

Media Question 2: Cause of infections ?
Answer : At present infected people have been found to have international travel history in recent past. Other causes as are being investigated.

Media Question 3: Is local transmission already happening within hospital ?
Answer : Once results of all people without international travel history have been received, only then it can be confirmed if local transmission has begun.

Media Question 4; What is the current course of action ?
Answer : Isolation of infected patients and WHO recommended line of treatment for the disease is being followed along with expert opinion of doctors. Other people have been quarantined until results for them are confirmed either way.   

Press Release : The member of press and media are hereby informed that some people at our Hospital A complained of peculiar symptoms of uneasiness and symptoms of influenza. Samples were taken from them for testing and results show that they are positive for COVID 19. Following which hospital premises has been immediately quarantined and all those present at hospital including other patients and hospital staff are now being tested. Pending results nobody is allowed to enter into or go out of premises. The infected patients have been moved to isolation for their and others safety. Local authorities have been informed along with family members of patients about the incident. All are simultaneously requested to maintain calm and report about the incident responsibly after due verification of facts from requisite personnel.

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