Don’t be a bigfoot!

Most journalists have encountered the bigfoot.

This person is often a senior manager who chooses to, or is told to, be a spokesperson about a newsworthy event or achievement they didn’t experience themself. Rather, the news was earned by a frontline employee. The bigfoot usually resides within rigid bureaucracies and hierarchical organizations such as the armed forces and law enforcement.

Let’s say for example, a border services agent who inspects packages shipped to Canada, discovers a tarantula hidden inside a toy airplane. When a reporter hears the story from a friend of that agent, they call the officer for a pre-interview. She tells the journalist about the many animals she has found stuffed into boxes and envelopes over the years. The officer speaks with passion about animal welfare. She is well-spoken, obviously good at her job and can tell the public in practical terms, how her organization effectively fights wildlife trafficking. Yet, when the reporter submits a formal request to interview the woman, the public affairs officer offers an interview with the district manager.

This happens all the time. Few things are as deflating to a journalist than losing a great interview to a bigfoot. Some reporters will dump the interview there and then. Others will proceed with the faint hope that they will convince bigfoot to honour the original interview request. Spoiler alert! The result will most likely be an interview with someone in a white shirt and uniform in a bland boardroom with a Canadian flag over the manager’s shoulder. Without the first-hand story and emotion, the interview will land flat.

What explains this? Organizations often have policies stipulating only those who have received media training may speak to a journalist. The problem with that is, of course, that media training is usually only offered to managers.   

When a reporter proactively reaches out to do a good news story about your company or organization, media training should not be an overriding consideration. No one can tell the story about spotting a tarantula in the cockpit of a toy plane, but the person who looked into the eight eyes of that spider. Sharing a story with emotion engages people. It will also legitimately illustrate your agency’s mission, the training of your employees and how your organization delivers results. If someone manages to attract priceless earned media don’t squander it!

In a case like this, it’s important to respond promptly. The journalist might lose interest or their editor may assign them to another story. Ask a member of the public affairs team to provide the officer with a rundown of what to expect in a media interview. Suppress the instinct to give her a long list of statistics and key messaging to memorize. Public affairs can share that information more efficiently in a handout or email message. Try to ensure the interview can happen at the officer’s work area. Authenticity is key.

Keep in mind the current state of mainstream media in Canada. News outlets are merging and there are far fewer reporters. Earned media has always been elusive, never more so than now.  

** Bigfooting also happens within news organizations. It occurs when a local reporter breaks a good story or obtains an exclusive interview and a more senior reporter or correspondent from elsewhere will swoop in and take over. **