Media and PR Protocols

Contacts:
 Columbiana County Jobs and Family Services
o (330) 424-1471
 East Liverpool City Hospital
o (330) 385-7200
 Wellsville Police Department
o Lt. Eisenbraun
o (330) 532-1522
 Wellsville Fire Department
o Chief Barry Podwell
o (330) 532-1515
 First Christian Church
o (330) 532-1587
 East Liverpool Review
o newsroom@reviewonline.com
o (330) 385-4545
 WTOV News 9
o newsdesk@wtov.com
o 740.284.9999
Our Mission:
We are a learning community dedicated to building responsible, empowered,
and respectful learners.
We are dedicated to producing contributing members of society.

We are fully committed to growing a school district that meets the ongoing
needs for our students and community, and look forward to being held
accountable for our work.

Part of our strategic plan is to improve lines of communication between

administration, teachers, parents, and community members so all stakeholders
are informed about the district. As well as accentuate the positive perception of
the District by advertising all positive performances through all available media.
Link to Wellsville Local Strategic Plan
Responding to Media Inquiries
o Be prepared: have the facts and stats of a situation written down,
edit this often as you gain new information.
o Understand the circumstances and define the problem.
o Communicate with staff first.
o Be honest.
o Facts and data only.
o Do not speculate, if you do not know, admit that you do not know
but will search for the answer.
o When asked a question that is off point, confusing, or inappropriate
respond with, “What’s important here is …”.
o Stop talking when you are finished. Do not feel compelled to fill the
silence or you may say more than intended.
o Postpone any interviews until emotions have calmed.

Responding to External Stakeholders

o Be prepared: have the facts and stats of a situation written down,
edit this often as you gain new information.
o Understand the circumstances and define the problem.
o Communicate with staff first.
o Send a crisis assessment and information memo to the central
office(s).
o Be honest.
o Facts and data only.
o Do not speculate, if you do not know, admit that you do not know
but will search for the answer.
o When asked a question that is off point, confusing, or inappropriate
respond with, “What’s important here is …”.
o Stop talking when you are finished. Do not feel compelled to fill the
silence or you may say more than intended.
o Send all-calls and memos home immediately to end speculation.
o Continue all- calls and memos as new information is learned so that
rumors are quelled.

(Newquist, 2018)
Non- Verbal Communication

 5 Roles of non- verbals

 Repetition: they can repeat the message the person is making

verbally.
 Contradiction: they can contradict a message the individual is
trying to convey.
 Substitution: they can substitute for a verbal message. For example,
a person's eyes can often convey a far more vivid message than
words.
 Complementing: they may add to or complement a verbal
message. A boss who pats a person on the back in addition to
giving praise can increase the impact of the message.
 Accenting: they may accent or underline a verbal message.
Pounding the table, for example, can underline a message.

Tips to Consider:

 Avoid slouching. Sit with your back straight up against the chair or lean
slightly forward to convey engagement.
 Steer clear of smiles or laughter when messages are serious.
 Display some animation with hands and facial expressions to project a
dynamic presence. (But, in general, avoid talking with your hands
excessively, which can appear unprofessional and unpolished.)
 Don’t bring your phone, a drink, or anything else to an interview or
meeting that could distract you.
 Eliminate fidgeting and shaking of limbs.

 Establish frequent but not continuous or piercing eye contact with

interviewers.
 In a group interview, shift eye contact to the various speakers.
 Introduce yourself with a smile and a firm handshake. Be sure that your
palms are dry.
 Keep your hands away from the face and hair.
 Lean slightly forward to indicate interest.
 Maintain open arms – folded arms can convey defensiveness.
 Modulate your vocal tone to express excitement and punctuate key
points.
  Nod to demonstrate understanding.
 Observe the reaction of others to your statements.
 Read the nonverbal signals of others – provide clarification if they look
confused, and wrap up if they have heard enough.
 Refrain from forced laughter in response to humor.
 Avoid looking at the clock, your phone, or displaying any other signs of
disinterest.
(Doyle, 2018)

Verbal Communication
Tips to consider:

 Annunciating clearly
 Anticipating the concerns of others
 Asking for clarification
 Asking open-ended questions to stimulate dialogue
 Assertiveness

 Calming an agitated customer by recognizing and responding to their

complaints
 Conveying feedback in a constructive manner emphasizing specific,
changeable behaviors
 Conveying messages concisely
 Enunciating each word you speak
 Explaining a difficult situation without getting angry
 Explaining that you need assistance
 Introducing the focus of a topic at the beginning of a presentation
or interaction
 Noticing non-verbal cues and responding verbally to verify
confusion, defuse anger, etc.
 Paraphrasing to show understanding
 Planning communications prior to delivery
 Posing probing questions to elicit more detail about specific issues
 Projecting your voice to fill the room
 Providing concrete examples to illustrate points
 Receiving criticism without defensiveness
 Recognizing and countering objections
 Refraining from speaking too often or interrupting others
 Restating important points towards the end of a talk
 Selecting language appropriate to the audience
 Showing an interest in others, asking about and recognizing their
feelings
 Speaking calmly even when you're stressed
 Speaking at a moderate pace, not too fast or too slowly
 Speaking confidently but with modesty
 Supporting statements with facts and evidence
 Tailoring messages to different audiences
 Utilizing self-disclosure to encourage sharing
(Doyle, 2018)
Sample memo for student suicide:

1. Within the first 30 minutes, understand the circumstances and define the
problem.
2. Consider the options then act decisively to ensure the health and safety
of other students and staff.
3. Communicate with staff, instruct staff to direct all inquiries to the central
office and/ or community resource agencies.
4. Communicate with parents using all- calls using above protocols
frequently as information becomes available.
5. Communicate with news media using above protocols frequently as
information becomes available.
6. Create a crisis assessments and information sheet and send this to the
central office(s), police, fire, ELO city hospital, CCJFS, and local churches.
7. Begin implementing steps from crisis assessment
a. Grief counselors
b. Student pick up
c. Attendance expectations
d. Food (?)
e. Medical attention (?)
f. Delegate staff

Crisis Assessment Information Sheet

 My name
 School name
 Time
 Phone number (s)
 Brief description of incident
 Number of people involved
 Outsiders on site (police, media, EMTs)
 Steps already taken
 Anticipated next steps
 Resources needed now (medical aid, grief counselors, food, etc.)

(Newquist, 2018)
 Works Cited
Doyle, A. (2018, April 23). Nonverbal Communication Skills List and Examples.
Retrieved from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/nonverbal-
communication-skills-2059693

Doyle, A. (2018, January 25). A List of Verbal Communication Skills Employers Seek.
Retrieved from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/verbal-communication-
skills-list-2059698

Newquist, C. (2018). Tips for School Administrators (and Other School Professionals).
Retrieved from
https://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin123.shtml