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We all know how vital
good community relations and public image are to a mission's development
efforts. The media can either be a positive force assisting in these
efforts or "a thorn in the side." Which one depends on our ability to
anticipate how organizational actions even with good intentions may "play
" in the media. In the event of unavoidable bad publicity, it is best to
have a set of pre-determined methods for "damage control."
 In a position where the main job requirement
is the ability to fly by the seat of your pants, it's always safe
to be well-armed. Nehemiah had the right idea when he commanded some
of his workers to prepare for battle and others to continue to work
with tools in one hand and a sword in the other. He stationed officers
behind the fighting men and everybody went back to work
This
scenario plays itself out often at City Union Mission (CUM) where our
Executive Director stands firmly behind our Community Relations Department
when things get rough. Because he has confidence in our abilities and has
equipped us, the rest of the staff at City Union Mission can continue
their work knowing our department is handling whatever community problems
arise. The efficiency of this strategy was tested in August 1995, when CUM
made national news over the relocation of two elderly tenants living in
our newly acquired apartment building. The building, purchased in July
1994, will soon be the site of the Christian Life Program's Transitional
Living quarters.
In the spring of 1994, when CUM began
negotiating the purchase, two tenants still lived there; Bob, 71, for 30
years, and Violet, 86, for 27 years. Though both tenants knew they would
eventually need to move out, neither took steps to relocate. Each month as
we collected their rent, we conversed with Bob and Violet about the
building's renovations and the inevitability of relocation. They nodded,
smiled and went about their business.
July 3, 1995, the
Mission sent a formal letter to Bob and Violet asking them to relocate by
October 1, 1995. We offered to pay all professional moving costs, utility,
pet and rent deposits and to locate their new housing according to their
specifications. It didn't matter. Within days, the Kansas City Star
printed an article under the headline, "Tenants stung as shelter expands."
A shockwave of publicity followed. For the next three days, we juggled
interviews with radio stations and reporters. When the AP ran a portion of
the Star article, Paul Harvey and Rush Limbaugh responded by lambasting
CUM staff as liberals kicking out two elderly rent-paying tenants in favor
of the homeless. USA Today headlines read "Widow, 86, kicked out so
homeless can move in." Calls from radio stations and irate readers around
the country filled our switchboard.
How did CUM staff handle
this? Some of us took up arms and faced a very real battle. The remainder
of our workers continued to "build the wall." Here's a look at how we came
through alive, a little shaken and very aware of the strong God who
protects us. Our Community Relations staff and the Executive Team
practiced proactive thinking. That doesn't mean we knew we would be hit as
hard as we were. It does mean that we had prepared general strategies that
we could count on whenever negative publicity occurred. When the story
broke, only "the chosen few" who knew those strategies spoke with the
media and with callers. Staff handling the story met immediately to insure
we were in agreement with what should and should not be said. We discussed
questionable areas with our attorney -- right down to vocabulary
choices.
Our Executive Director, Dan Doty and I, handled all
interviews. These included radio call-in shows not just in KC, but across
the country. We did not 'cross media.' I have developed relationships with
editors, deejays, and news directors from several of KC's radio and
television stations, and newspapers. Their advice is to not attempt to
correct a story by going to another media. For instance, if a newspaper
story breaks, don't try and correct its distortions by calling a
sympathetic TV station. You can't control the direction of the story and
you may be introducing the story to a whole new audience.
We
told our side and did not resort to mudslinging. We had plenty of
opportunities to mudsling as interviewers attempted to draw us into
"shock-talk" conversations with the tenants' families. We stuck to the
facts, kept our voices level, and spoke for the Mission -- not ourselves.
We accepted every opportunity to speak, and never said, "No comment." We
kept our word. We kept in communication with the tenants, repeating what
we were willing to do.
This experience -- like all
experiences -- must be viewed as a learning opportunity. After the worst
was over, our Community Relations and Executive staff met for debriefing.
We reviewed our successes and our mistakes. We corrected our strategies,
and made practical plans that would help us avoid this kind of problem in
the future.
In Rescue Mission work, there is a sense in
which we never know what is going to happen next. Nehemiah certainly
didn't foresee some of the attacks he encountered. And yet he was
prepared, and responded resourcefully and effectively when surprised.
Those of us who carry the weapons must be ready at all times, staying
ahead of the action, so that the most important work - the reconstruction
of lives - can continue.
Julie Rohlfing served as City Union Mission's Director of Community
Relations/Development for nine years. She is now a public relations
consultant with the ENEX Group.
Contact her via e-mail at: mailto:ENEX2@worldnet.att.net
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