Scoop: Crisis comms lessons from the dramatisation of Prince Andrew’s Newsnight interview

Netflix’s film Scoop launched this weekend — a dramatisation that delves into the behind-the-scenes narrative of that infamous BBC Newsnight interview. The watershed moment, often described as a public relations catastrophe, serves as a case study from which PR professionals can learn valuable crisis comms lessons.

Creating a crisis comms strategy

One of the most striking parts of the film is the departure of Andrew's newly hired PR advisor, who made a swift exit after learning of the decision to proceed with the interview. Jason Stein, hired in September 2019 to improve the prince’s image, opposed the idea. Instead, he had called for a strategy focusing on print interviews with a specially selected pool of journalists. Stein’s position on the interview proved to be entirely right.

?While most PR professionals will never have to deal with a crisis as scandalous as Prince Andrew’s, there are certainly lessons we can learn from his failings.

?1.???? Choose the right platform

When responding to a crisis, it is crucial to select the right media for the problem you are handling — not just in terms of outlet and publication, but also the medium in which the interview will be published. Ultimately, the best outlet or medium for crisis communication will depend on factors such as the urgency of the situation, the preferences of the target audience and your organisation’s overall communication strategy.

2.???? Choose the spokesperson

It is equally important to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the person speaking. Are they comfortable in front of the camera? Do they ever sweat? Have they visited Pizza Express in Working? In all seriousness, choosing a spokesperson should consider several factors:

• Credibility: The spokesperson should be someone with authority and credibility in your organisation, such as a c-level executive or subject matter expert. Their position and expertise will lend weight to their statements.
• Knowledge: They should have a thorough understanding of the crisis itself, including its causes and implications. They need to be well-informed so that they can address questions with accurate and factual answers.
• Media training: The spokesperson should possess strong communication skills and have undertaken media training to effectively convey your organisation’s key messages. These messages should ideally be agreed with their marketing team and PR agency in advance.

3.???? Determine key messages

Before any interview, there should be serious thought given to the messages you want to convey. Not only is this important for crisis comms, but in any media interaction you undertake. At Stone Junction, we help clients to develop key points of refuge during our virtual and in-person media training.

Key messages allow the organisation to keep some control of the narrative and steer the conversation in the desired direction. This helps to ensure that the journalist will cover parts of the story that are most important to the business — not the things the interviewee just happens to mention.?

The saga surrounding Prince Andrew's ill-fated BBC highlights the importance of strategic foresight, preparation and media training in crisis comms. For PR and marketing professionals, it is certainly worth a watch.

It also sheds light on the negotiation process undertaken by the BBC journalist to secure the coveted interview — but we’ll delve into this in another edition of the Junction Box.

Handling a crisis? Stone Junction has developed several crisis communication plans for our B2B industrial clients. The team also delivers media training and can host workshops to help you develop your key messages before you meet with journalists — in a crisis, or not.

?Visit www.wechangeminds.com or contact us at +44(0)1785 225416.