A presentation on managing public perception and avoiding negative press given by me today at an Infonex conference on sustainable energy infrastructure.

1. Managing Public Perception and Avoiding (?) Negative Press Boyd Neil boyd.neil@hillandknowlton.ca www.boydneil.com @boydneil

6. supporting data and examples

7. quotable quotes

8. human interest

10. story reported accurately (defined realistically)

11. story angle aligned more or less with yours

12. key messages are prominent

13. you’re not quoted as saying anything negative or counterproductive

14. message discipline

16. third-party experts, supportive citizen activists, bureaucrats and politicians

17. media will look for them anyway

18. go direct to stakeholders

19. a media story is always filtered

20. develop stakeholder information and engagement plans in parallel with media plan

21. provide alternative/easily accessible sources of information

22. use your website

26. 55% 89% 65% Cision /Masters Degree Program in Strategic Public Relations at George Washington University, 2009 Survey of 371 journalists

28. Managing public perception

29. The new advocacy A (r)evolution in Civic Engagement

31. “The heart of dialogue is a simple but profound capacity to listen. Listening requires we not only hear the words, but also embrace, accept and gradually let go of our own inner clamoring.” William Isaacs

32. William Isaacs, Dialogue: The Art of Thinking Together, 1999