In the busy life of a headteacher, the last thing you want to deal with is a difficult press enquiry.
Often schools feel obligated to (quickly) respond to what is sometimes a spurious rumour.
When working with a client, we first assess whether the media outlet has enough “evidence” to print the story.
Firsthand accounts are rarely strong enough for a media organisation to publish; they often need documented support of the claims.
Journalists are sometimes seeking a response from a school precisely because they don’t have enough to “stand up” a story.
By responding, even if to rebut, you may lend undue credibility to the claims, which in turn may be enough to convince an editor to print.
We also consider whether providing a comment for a news story would help to mitigates any potential reputation damage.
Again, a response gives credibility to a claim. Silence is not an admission of guilt and can be a powerful tool to discredit or deescalate a story.
A journalist will add pressure by setting a deadline for a response, usually within 24 hours. This is partly to get the organisation to rush out an ill-conceived statement.
With most stories now read online you can request your response be added after the story has been published.
It also gives you the time to craft a factual, considered response; should it be necessary.