ABSTRACT
In a crisis, the media, who are telling the story on behalf of their readers, listeners, and viewers, want to hear from someone who is close to, if not in charge of, the frontline operations. And often it is the frontline, the public faces or voices of the organization, that are most vulnerable, as they are often without any training or guidelines at all. Think of the receptionists, call centers, maintenance people, and security guards who may encounter the media pack for the rst time. (It was the night watchman who initially encountered the media pack when Shell had a massive oil spill on the Sydney Harbor back in 1999-one year before the Olympics. He knew what to say! He had been trained.)
The media want to speak to the driver of the bus or train, the pilot, and the project manager for a rsthand report. That operational spokesperson, as long as he or she is media savvy and reasonably articulate, is going to be more believable than the chief executive ofcer (CEO), who is typically a long way away from the action and the local community.
