Media Tactics
By Victoria Deaton
E-mail: bohican@mindspring.com
Here goes...off
the cuff...my basic rule on how to deal with reporters
(mostly TV) when they show up at the shooting scene, and
later on at your door and at the courthouse. I'll try and
post a more concise version later. Grab a cup of coffee.
It's a very long post but subtle nuances are important
here. I'm not supporting or damning the media, just
giving y'all a feel for what usually happens. If you have
a shooting buddy, and you feel pretty comfortable with
what I'm outlining, discuss a media plan with him and
your attorney in case a shooting occurs to give you some
level of preparedness. You may need your buddy as a
designated family spokesman. Don't identify him as a
shooting sports partner...just a "friend of the
family".
I'll assume the shooting happened in a public place,
making it a bit more high-profile, like in a road-rage
situation where good guy and bad guy aren't immediately
evident, unlike a situation where some guy broke into
your house at night. The following thoughts are based on
heavy media coverage in a town that has a big newspaper,
several TV stations, and a neighboring town that has the
same. You might get lucky and just get a reporter or two.
Unless your local law enforcement agency's jurisdiction
has 800MHz systems you can expect the media to show up
shortly after the law enforcement officers are dispatched
to the shooting scene. 800Mhz systems can cut down on
what the media pick up on the scanner, but some law
enforcement agency's are providing the media with 800 MHz
receive-only radios upon request. In short, you may have
to deal with reporters and cameras during one of the most
stressful moments of your life. Stay cool, and take care
of business.
At the scene, don't duck the cameras. It makes you
look guilty. Never, EVER put your hand over or on the
lens of a camera, or get in a shoving match with a
photographer. It makes you look guilty and evasive, and
the photographer in most jurisdictions can and will press
charges. Most of all, it makes you look physically
aggressive — not a good thing at this time. If you
are in a patrol car, don't duck down; don't cover your
head. If the officer can give you a copy of a report or
even a piece of useless paper to look at, it's even
better to look occupied. If not, a simple nod to a camera
is okay. Do NOT talk to reporters or answer questions
yelled at you. They will be set up in a line along the
crime scene tape and a camera will always be on you.
Reporters will be talking to the designated law
enforcement officer spokesperson. There might be choppers
overhead. Live vans and sat trucks will set up on
sidewalks. The circus has come to town.
At some point you may have to walk into your local
courthouse/police department. Expect cameras during this
"walkdown". Again, don't duck. If you're cuffed
in front, ask the law enforcement officer if you can fold
a shirt or jacket over the cuffs. Photographers will be
walking alongside, ahead, and behind you and scurrying
pretty quickly. This is a function of having to have
walkdown shots that are 30 seconds long plus having shots
to edit, so they're gonna be moving pretty quickly and
jockeying for position. Don't misinterpret this as
aggression. Again, a nod is fine. Do NOT say anything
more than "It's best I don't talk to you guys
yet." if anything at all. Always use conversational
language whenever possible. Walk tall. Don't slouch.
Don't appear cocky. Just walk normally. You can do
anything for 3 minutes and that's all the media wants at
that point: pictures and maybe some sound (TV slang for
"interview") with one of the folks involved in
the shooting. Pray for a tornado, hurricane, landslide,
meteorite...anything to divert crews (manpower) to other
stories. <g>
If you have an attorney at this point, coordinate a
statement of some sort and contact your family to make
sure they get the same message. The media will descend
upon your house to get a shot of where you live and will
probably knock on the door. If it was up to me, and if
it's a high profile shooting, I'd put my family in a
hotel room for a few days. Expect live trucks on the
street. Expect your neighbors to be asked questions. The
line your family is to use is "hi, guys...sorry, we
just can't talk right now" if they are getting in
the car to come down to the PD. Conversational english.
Non-adversarial.
Reporters have deadlines. TV reporters have to have
pictures and an interview for that deadline. TV folks
will need something for 12 noon, 5pm, 530pm, 6pm, and
11pm, and the stuff will get regurgitated for the early
am show at 6am or whatever; they call this "feeding
the monster"--a huge demand for fresh pictures and
interviews. They are not interviewing you because they
want to or want to "nail" you. They are there
because of managers who are competing to be #1 with the
story, and that crew is the one that got dispatched.
Don't take it personally. Depending on whether the
shooting was a big deal they will do liveshots, and
photographers will be looking for pictures. Did you use a
pistol or an AR-15? Expect to see a shot on the news of a
law enforcement officer handling it, and boy does that AR
look big as hell. Simple COM (center of mass) shots from
a Glock 19? Pictures of the brass on the street. A 12ga.
fired at near point-blank range leaving a mess on the bad
guy's car? Depending on the video standards (rules of
what gore can be used on-air) at a station, that mess
from the shotgun may show up. Shootings are ugly. The
pictures won't be of you fighting for your life so that
you can go home to your family, but of the aftermath. I
think about these things because I've seen them for the
past 12+ years and unfortunately the expected
post-shooting media exposure affects my shoot/no-shoot
decisions.
You can't control the pictures at the scene but at
least you can control the soundbites from your
"team" that go on TV and the quotes in the
paper. Have your attorney work with someone you designate
as a family representative, like your shooting buddy (who
may better understand a defensive shooting situation than
your non-shooting neighbor Barney does). First, get
control of your personal situation: handle the Law
enforcement officers, get your attorney on the horn, and
call your family. Then use the attorney and your
designated family spokesman to provide the media with a
statement if they are on the story big time, even if the
statement doesn't amount to much. Once it's approved by
the attorney, have your friend Joe Soundbite go to the
house, if that's where the media are camped out. If at
all possible, give them a statement away from the house
to draw them away from your family and neighbors. (If you
ever once carted a shotgun out to your car on the way to
the gunsmith and a clueless neighbor saw it, you can
expect a soundbite on TV to the effect of "yeah, he
was always playing with guns" or something stupid
like that.)
Spokesman: "Hi, I'm Joe Soundbite, and since Fred
Defendant is over at the police department helping out
with the report, he's designated me to give you guys a
brief statement. Before we get going, I'd like to ask for
your help. First, we'd appreciate it if you folks will
respect his family and give them some room. No one here
in the house is going to make a statement. Second, any
questions about the situation will need to be directed
towards Todd Louis Green, his attorney, who will give you
folks more info since he's working closely with the PD
and with Fred. This okay? Good. Now I'm going to make a
statement. You guys ready?(they'll all nod since they've
been rolling tape all this time---it just makes you look
as cooperative as possible) I can't answer any questions,
but Fred is uninjured (or is being treated or whatever).
He told the police that he'd cooperate in any way
necessary. The situation happened while he was on his way
to work/lunch/whatever. It's a stressful time for
everyone involved, and we're cooperating fully with the
authorities."
Two things have happened. You've gotten the message
out that you don't want the media hounding you (more on
that later) and you've given them a miniscule soundbite
("it happened on the way to work...he's
cooperating") which is something benign but usable.
Make sure your buddy sticks to the script. Keep the tone
conversational, like you're telling your employees about
a new policy. Firm, but conversational.
After the statement, the media will attempt to get
more information. Joe Soundbite, your friend/spokesman,
is to smile, shake his head, and say, "Geez guys, I
can't give you any more than that since everyone is so
busy and I don't have much info. But if you guys will
help out and not hassle the family, we'll help out by
giving you guys what you need in time to meet deadlines.
Have you talked to the cops? They've been very helpful to
us. Perhaps they can give you more than I can." He's
identified Law enforcement officers as being
"helpful" to you (that's subtle), and then
ended the impromptu press conference.
This sort of deal making usually works when you've got
a shooter who has been already identified as being in a
"self-defense shooting". Remember the advice in
other posts to tell cops "I' was afraid for my
life"? That's a good thing. Remember that if it is a
justifiable shooting, and the basic facts come out soon
afterwards (reporters will interview law enforcement
officer spokespeople on the scene) then you have a very
good chance of working with media that will understand
early on that it was a justifiable shooting. Good
newspeople (they do still exist) will recognize the
dynamics.
You can expect calls from the newspaper and TV
stations all day and into the night and for a while after
the shooting, so prepare your family accordingly. Stick
to your spokesman unless your spouse is up to it. Joe or
Spouse Soundbite is to repeat the script. Change a few
words here and there as the hours progress so they have
something different to put on the air...again, it's a
sort of trade. If you give them tidbits to appease their
editors and producers so that they can feed the monster,
they'll give you a bit of room. They may contact your
employer to find out what kind of person you are. Don't
be surprised if they look for any criminal
history...anything on the record will show up,
particularly if the shooting has any hint of being
anything other than self-defense. Going before a
magistrate? If the magistrate permits, you may have
cameras on you there as well.
When coming out of the Police Department, after
talking to your attorney, you'll have another walkdown
the same as before. Best to have your attorney come out,
talk to reporters, and give a brief statement. If he's
media savvy, he'll give the ground rules, just like Joe
Soundbite did (see how this is coordinated?). It goes
something like this:
Attorney: "Hey guys, gather round and I'll tell
you what's up. First, no cameras for a second, okay? Fred
is finishing up with the Police. It's been a long day,
and we'd appreciate it if you'd give him and his family
some room. That okay? Can you do that? We know you need
statements and pictures, so here's the deal. He won't run
from you guys if you don't chase him. I'm gonna give you
guys a statement, answer as many questions as I can, and
then we'll see if Fred is done and we'll walk out. How
about we come out this door, we'll get in the elevator,
and walk out the front door. He'll walk to the end of the
block here and then we're gonna get in the car and
that'll be it for today."
The attorney answers questions; his style at that
point is his choice. He goes back and gets Fred (you),
but before he comes out the door, he comes back out to
the herd of reporters and says "we're about
ready". What this does is look like you are
cooperating fully, helping out the media who have been
camped out not knowing when you'd appear. In essence, you
are controlling your appearance, which is better than
running the gauntlet. Give them a bit of what they want
after setting up the guidelines. Most of the time,
attorneys will help their client sneak out a back door.
When that happens, media members form an impromptu
"pool" that temporarily puts media competitors
on the same team and increases resources...they will
assign photographers to each door, with the agreement
that whoever gets the video will share it with the other
competing station. Again, give them a little bit, and
they'll usually back off and won't resort to pool tactics
or pack mentality. It works 90% of the time.
Do not discuss the case in any way shape or form.
Don't give much personal information other than the most
positive (Sunday school teacher, etc). Don't let anyone
who is making statements say stuff like "Fred is
well-trained...shoots IDPA...is on a tactics list."
It will come out as "Fred trained to do this sort of
shooting." THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS OFF THE RECORD,
AND CAMERAS ARE ALWAYS ROLLING. It's the media version of
"treat every gun as if it's loaded". Never let
your guard down. Don't say anything stupid. Also,
wireless mics are pretty much standard nowadays in TV.
It's unethical, but sometimes a reporter will show up on
a doorstep with no camera with the intention of getting
someone on the record...with a photographer nearby
recording the audio and pictures. Never be afraid to ask
if you are being recorded (and ask them to stop if
necessary and insist on an off-camera interview), and
always assume that you are being recorded anyway to be
safe. A good reporter will knock on the door, politely
ask if you (or family member) will consent to be
interviewed on camera. If not, will you make a statement
off-camera? If not, can they get pictures of you and the
reporter talking but without sound? You may feel like not
saying anything, and that is your right. But if nothing
else, comply with the last one (reasons follow), but be
sure and ask if they are recording the conversation.
Remember that while you may not want to give a statement,
the victim's family certainly will, and it is best to be
on the record in some way that makes you human. But do it
in a controlled fashion. Never lose your cool, even if
the reporter is a jerk. Let your attorney handle the
folks who are on your private property against your
wishes *after* you have officially, politely asked them
to leave. Have your attorney place a phone call to the
station's general manager or the newspaper's publisher.
Crap rolls downhill, and no news director wants to hear
from their boss that an employee was acting unethically.
Expect to hear some sort of excuse about "reporting
the news", so don't bother calling unless it's
over-the-top aggressive tactics.
If the police report comes out favorably to the
shooter, have the attorney, or family member, leak a copy
of it. Send it first to the reporters who are cooperating
with your request for some privacy.
Do NOT threaten reporters/photographers. One incident
a few years back had a shooter threatening to *shoot*
reporters if they came on his property. Not good
<g>. If they do come onto your property, let the
cops know. If the shooting happened on your property, the
media will be behind crime scene tape and that distance
is determined by Law enforcement officers. They will also
look for other angles, like the street behind your house.
Take a look at your property and where the public
right-of-way is. Once the crime scene tape comes down,
the media knows where the right of way is and will sit
there. This means that they can't sit on your lawn, but
they can shoot from the sidewalk, or across the street.
Remember that if you take an adversarial position with
them, they will find ways to get pictures that are worse
than those that you control--i.e, the controlled walkdown, the statement on the steps, etc. If you can get
them away from your house by keeping all the statements
at the PD or attorney's office, even better.
Also remember that the victim's family will be
involved and may be interviewed. They *will* provide
pictures of the victim to the media. As you can expect,
the picture won't be of a snarling, crazed gunman who
pulled a gun on you. It will be a picture of him at a
family cookout or some pre-crack-addiction picture with
him smiling and looking nice and neat, or him accepting
the employee of the year award at work. You'll hear the
relatives say "He was a great dad/son...he never
hurt anyone...now what will we do now that Sally has no
daddy?" That picture and interview will be shown in
the same report as your picture going into the
courthouse. The victim's family can talk for hours and
make themselves heard to every reporter who will
interview them. You're stuck with short soundbites
through your attorney and spokesman at first. This is why
image is so darned important. If the shooting incident
goes as far as to change legislation (the Seagroves
shooting in NC, for example) the pictures will be trotted
out for years to come whenever the issue arises. Image is
everything. Don't lose your cool. Take care of business
with the Law enforcement officers and your attorney, then
take care of your family. Make sure if you have kids that
you help them deal with the focus that will be on your
family. Keep young kids away from the TV initially since
the pictures from the scene may be frightening to them.
As soon or someone you trust has time, explain in
appropriate detail the situation and the resulting
publicity. Your kids may take some crap at school; your
kid's teacher or guidance counselor may be able to help.
Again, never release any info that may come back to haunt
you.
Never play up to the camera. No Bible-thumping. No
false tears (remember Susan Smith? Every newsroom in the
county knew within 10 seconds of her first interview that
she was guilty). No matter what you think of the media,
there are usually professionals here and there in very
market who will give balanced reports right up until the
point where they feel you are manipulating them beyond
what can be reasonably expected, but no further.
Understand what they need to "feed the
monster", give them enough to keep them out of your
hair, but do not give them anything that will ever come
back to haunt you.
Just my 2¢ worth. The counsel of your attorney and
local Law enforcement officers takes precedence and none
of this is legal advice.YMMV, etc. I'll be more than
happy to answer any specific questions and I promise I
won't be as long-winded. <g>
Victoria Deaton is a
Photojournalist with over 12 years of experience working
for major news organizations. She is also an avid shooter
and an advocate of the 2nd
Amendment and carrying concealed weapons.
This
article was originally posted to the "Tactics
List,"
an e-mail listserve sponsored by
COMTAC, Ltd. Firearms Training
List
instructions are available at the COMTAC home page
