Racing Australia should be in crisis management mode, but Tabloiditis has changed the rules of crisis management and media engagement for ever. 

As the 2DayFM scandal once again heats up, we discuss the value in learning from history.

With only 5 months to go until the election, Clarity looks at the carefully managed looks our leaders are sporting.

Last week's reader poll came out overwhelmingly in support of our blog. 68% of readers thought the Fairfax story was poor reporting, while 32% gave us a spank.

In a media interview colour is King - it shapes the story so make it strategic. This week we look at what to do, and what not to do, to cut through the chatter and be heard by a journalist.

The Internet is ablaze with speculation about Rolf Harris and, in the Court of Public Opinion a rumour uncorrected for 24 hours becomes fact. He needs to tie those rumours down, sport.

A diesel spill in Sydney’s Harbour Tunnel caused gridlock but showed a well oiled crisis team in action. 

While companies spend big on advertising campaigns, a group of Nannas have drawn their needles and knitted up a storm of publicity. We look at their strategy and share some tips on how to create your own social media powerhouse.

Arguing with a reporter can take you off message. That's when you become the story.

Social media users are quickly learning that publishing and sharing defamatory comments can be costly.

A spate of fake media releases have tested the patience of reporters and the credibility of big global brands.

As journalism faces an evolving crisis, Adam Courtenay has some tips on how to adapt and survive.

Yes or No questions might help a reporter get to the truth quickly, but they can also put you in a pickle with damaging quotes and headlines.

Success in sport relies on a solid game plan. The same rules apply when managing a crisis like that engulfing Australian sport.

When Australia’s two oldest broadsheets turn tabloid, they'll need shorter and sharper insights from the people they quote.

When it comes to crisis communications, Tesco's rapid response to a horse meat scandal ticked all the boxes.   

Enjoy the summer with our five most-read blogs of 2012

Good PR starts with your first contact with a reporter. It's pretty straightforward if you show respect and keep it professional. 

Lend Lease's crane fire is a text book case of how not to communicate in a crisis.

A good key message is not enough, you need to be armed with techniques to engage and appeal to your audience or you'll do more harm than good.

PR people, or Chief Relationship Officers as we now must call them, are the first line of defence against reputational Armageddon.

Everyone makes judgments about people based on what they are wearing, so it's critical to ensure that what you wear doesn't conflict with what you are saying. Or to put it more positively, dress to reinforce your message.

All communication shapes public opinion and perceptions. These two radio interviews - one on Drugs and the other Gambling - showcase how to get it right and how to shoot yourself in the foot. Sadly both would make Angels weep. 

Reporters need opinion leaders who can comment on fiscal affairs simply and with panache.

When you say “no comment” you lose all control over an issue and allow a reporter to wildly speculate.

Standing up during a telephone interview can help you exude more energy and sound more assertive.

Alan Jones's apology to Julia Gillard failed on numerous levels. Now he has positioned himself as the victim.

Online readers tend to scan, skim and even skip stories. That’s why shorter, sharper insights are crucial in the digital age. 

Apple uses superlatives, metaphors and visual examples to influence how its products are portrayed by the media.

When a company's reputation is under the microscope, it’s important to tell it fast, tell it all and tell the truth. 

Often the quickest way to insult a reporter - and damage your own credibility - is to insist on quote approval.

Every industry has its own language and journalism is no different. Here’s a glossary of newsroom terms to help keep you in the loop when dealing with reporters. 

The best radio interviews keep an audience alert and listening. So tell stories, paint pictures and speak with passion.

Sebastian Coe's speech at the London Olympics was far from a medal-winning performance. Here's some tips on how you can go for gold with your next presentation.

An apology generally does not make you liable, but it could save your brand.

People say the most interesting - and dangerous - things when they think the interview is over and they're out of the hot seat.

Ian Thorpe is in hot water with BBC viewers for his habitual use of the word "Look."  

A good sound bite grabs our ear and captures our imagination. It should be crisp, catchy and delivered with passion.

Love it or loathe it, Twitter’s 140 character limit forces us to be brief and concise. That same disciplined brevity is the key to a good media interview. 

Sutherland Shire mayor Carol Provan apologises for her foot-in-mouth slur on Burwood, but then points the finger at Revesby and Bankstown. 

Loose lips really can sink ships and ruin reputations. If you don't want to see something in print or on TV, be careful what you say in public.

Gold medal sound bites are short and snappy and cut through the clutter. Are your sound bites up to Olympic standard?

As the June 30 profit season kicks off, executive bonuses and salaries will be in the spotlight. Are you ready for the million dollar question?

Every company can find itself at the blunt end of a social media attack. But with a robust social media plan, it can be a real opportunity to showcase your brand to a much broader audience.
 

The London Olympics will be the first true "social media Olympics". That poses new hazards for trigger-happy athletes.

Storytellers, writers and public speakers use The Rule of Three to communicate memorable ideas. It can also help you get a clear message across when you’re talking to a reporter.  

Forrest Gump knew how to tell a big story in a powerful way using an analogy. Analogies, metaphors and anecdotes make your message memorable and highly quotable when dealing with the media.

Scandals, gossip and smear campaigns can ruin a good name instantly. John Travolta has taken a risk by bunkering down and leaving his lawyer to do the talking for him. 

Facebook is facing a crisis of confidence following a disastrous stock market listing. For it's hoodie-wearing CEO, it's the first real test of his leadership qualities.

JP Morgan’s response to a damaging $US3 billion-plus trading scandal has been almost textbook. Has your company planned for its JP Morgan moment?

In an Australian first, Fairfax Media has added a touch of Harry Potter wizardry to its newspapers. The potential for advertisers and the PR industry is enormous.

The power of repetition means most of us probably remember the 1970s TV ad about "football, meat pies, kangaroos and Holden cars". Repetition is a powerful technique that can also help your message stick in a media interview.

At a time when Julia Gillard is battling to reconnect with traditional Labor voters, why wouldn’t she play ball with former league star Mark Geyer? 

For the first time, PR professionals could soon outnumber journalists in Australia. And that means PR people might need to rethink how they pitch to over-worked reporters.

We’re all guilty of using industry jargon from time to time. But some professions are worse than others when it comes to spouting annoying and meaningless gobbledygook.

Bill Shorten’s live TV gaffe goes viral after he agrees with PM Julia Gillard... even though he has no idea what she actually said.

Business leaders, sports stars and PR professionals are increasingly using Twitter as a soapbox to complain and snipe with reporters. So, is the blogosphere slowly strangling good, old-fashioned media relations?

The secret of Sir Winston Churchill’s success was that he used words as weapons. He was a master communicator who understood that people remembered phrases, not speeches.

We all make them: mistakes, blunders, faux pas, stuff ups, even bad jokes. But when it comes to saying sorry, what is the difference between a heart-felt apology and one aimed at damage-control?

Was it ingenious pandering to a photo journalist or a happy accident that scored page 2 reporting for a small Animal Welfare protest in today's Sydney Morning Herald?

Reporters are just trying to understand what you know. So if you can’t explain it in simple terms, you probably shouldn’t be talking to them in the first place.

Social media allows us to get up in front of an audience and pass on ideas, demonstrate how to do things and inspire change on a scale we could only dream about a few years ago. Using it is an essential part of any public relations and marketing plan.

In a recent media training session a participant told me they preferred to only ever deal with reliable reporters who they considered to be a friend. I explained that it was dangerous to assume any reporter was their friend, and here’s why.

Many of us communicate via 'data dump', we blind the audience with details.

MD Geoffrey Stackhouse is moderating the panel "Managing your brand when the elements are against you" at PR Directions in Sydney on 25/10.

I’m all for a strong key message, but Ed Miliband, the UK’s answer to Tony Abbott, proves that being a “message bully” doesn’t make you safe, it makes you a laughing stock.

Loose lips in a leaked internal memo show the power of a colourful quote. 

First, last, biggest, richest, oldest: the best media communicators use superlatives – words that end in “st”.

The Qantas media team look stretched to breaking point this week judging by the way they handled their latest issue - an unaccompanied 11 year old unattended at Hobart airport

Tony Abbott’s infamous 28 seconds of silence sparked a media furore and hurt his credibility. MD Geoffrey Stackhouse speaks to Business Spectator about how to handle sticky moments in the media.

Welcome to Clarity's new social media training workshops. We can help you deliver compelling social media commentary based on proven communication frameworks.

"Orica is on dangerous ground from a reputation perspective."

Welcome to the world of crisis communications - MD Geoffrey Stackhouse is interviewed by BEN Business

Reputation is a valuable asset. Risk management tools are now essential in a director's kitbag. 

When a crisis strikes the media will be reporting it. Your challenge is to show you are the best source of information.

Welcome to the Clarity blog page, your one-stop-shop for understanding how the news media works and what you can do to improve your media and presentation skills.