RubinBrown Team Member Manual

Section: Public Relations and Media Policy 1300

Policy Title: Policy Number:

Miscellaneous

Effective Date:

Supersedes Policy Dated:

06/01/2024

06/01/2023

Background: Effective communications with the media are critical to RubinBrown. Effective media relations best serve RubinBrown by ensuring that accurate information is conveyed to the public regarding incidents and issues of a controversial and/or sensitive nature, expanding the general visibility of the Firm and by promoting the Firm’s achievements, activities and events of significance. Policy: The Chairman and Managing Partner serve as the official Firm spokesperson(s) and convey the official Firm position on issues of general Firm-wide impact or significance or situations that are of a controversial or sensitive nature. Procedure: Team members may receive requests and/or inquiries from the media regarding their professional expertise. In such cases, Partners are authorized to speak with the media but the Managing Partner and Marketing Department should be notified as soon as possible. Requests from business, trade and general media, including online reporters, should be communicated to the Marketing Department. Our policy is to return calls from the news media, editors or producers within one day. If/when a call or request is received from a media representative, please obtain the following information: • Full name of the person calling • Media represented Such notification can be particularly important if follow-up inquiries are made with other Firm team members to ensure a coordinated, consistent Firm response. Media inquiries should be referred to the Marketing Department if they involve issues with Firm-wide significance and/or are of a controversial or sensitive nature. If a media representative calls you directly, and you are not prepared to speak to a particular incident or situation, please indicate that you are unable to address the conversation at this time. You may say, “I apologize, but I am involved in a meeting at this time and unavailable to speak.” Always communicate to both the Firm’s Managing Partner and the Marketing Department that the request has taken place so that the call is returned as soon as possible and within the time frame mentioned above. It is in our best interest to never respond to reporters or media staff “off-the-cuff” or hurriedly. However, we will do our best to be respectful of media deadlines and try to pass on the information as soon as possible so that RubinBrown can respond in a timely manner with the appropriate information. Please never respond with “no comment.” If you do not have an appropriate response, please allow the Marketing Department to respond to the media with an explanation of RubinBrown’s position. Always understand even though a reporter may indicate that what you say will be kept “off the record,” statements that are reported to the media under any circumstance may still be reported. Crisis communications can have a lasting impact on our Firm. How well we convey our message to the public general depends on what is reported to the news media. This is especially true in a crisis, during which the news media is the primary means of communication to our public. Because of the emotions that usually accompany crises, images formed from crisis reporting can be especially important in shaping long-lasting public impressions of the Firm. • Nature of the call (What is the call about?) • Daytime and after-hours contact number • E-mail • What is the specific deadline related to this information?

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