When a crisis strikes, honesty and consistency matter most when engaging the media
When a crisis hits a destination, the best way industry stakeholders can circumvent the situation and prevent another crisis from unfolding is to engage the media constructively.
Speaking at the TTG Media Engagement Workshop during ITB Asia, Imtiaz Muqbil, executive editor of Travel Impact Newswire, said: “Do not try to sweep things under the carpet. You have to confront the problem because it is not going to go away.”
Thailand stands out in the region as destination that has mastered “the whole art of crisis management down to a tee”, opined Muqbil. “Every time a crisis hit, (the Thai authorities) know exactly what they should do. That is why in terms of visitor number, they have seen minimum impact,” he said.
On the contrary, Ken Scott, managing director of Scott Asia Communications, believes that the Thai government could have better handled the recent Erawan Shrine bombing, which also provided learning points in crisis communications.
“It is all right to say ‘I don’t know’ if you don’t know. Do not speculate,” Scott remarked, adding that the authorities should appoint one spokesperson to liaise with the media to avoid conflicting information.
Acknowledging the heightened media attention – as well as sensationalism – during crises, Marcus Cotton, managing director of Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge in Nepal, said: “If it bleeds, it leads…When there is intense spotlight on the stage, the rest of the stage goes into blackness.”
Furthermore, the online era has enabled the general populace to become reporters too. “Everyone with a phone nowadays basically is a member of the media, there is no such thing as the media anymore,” added Muqbil.
“The cumulative power of individuals will allow you to push back against imbalanced reporting in the mainstream media. You’re no longer at the mercy of the mainstream media.”
While social media allows the word to get out faster, problems could arise when inaccurate information gets disseminated, pointed out Kannan Chandran, founder and publisher of E-Quill News Media and Six-Six News.
“The role of the media is to ensure that the information is authenticated and that viral content don’t get viral until due diligence has been exercised to verify the information,” said Chandran.
Questioning if it was the media or the public that needed handling in times of crises, he added: “Both need to work together. The media needs to be measured in how they present the facts, while public needs to take a step back and check the story if the facts are true.”
Adopting a proactive stance in disseminating information quickly and accurately is hence paramount for authorities to prevent crisis communication from spiralling out of control, the speakers emphasised.
When queried on how tourism organisations can tackle misinformation coming from the public, Scott suggested: “Bite your bottom lip and correct them nicely and consistently.”
This article was first published in TTG Asia, November 13, 2015 issue, on page 5. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.
Additional reporting from Xinyi Liang-Pholsena
