4 Rules for Transparency in Public Relations
Written by David Barkoe
Published April 4, 2024
Earlier this year Lyft accidentally announced that it expected to increase earnings by 500 basis points in 2024, instead of 50. What happened next was a masterclass in transparency in public relations.
Lyft CEO David Risher quickly took responsibility and explained that the typo was “a clerical error,” while adding that his team was auditing their process to make sure this kind of mistake never happens again. The news cycle around the typo died down relatively quickly and the press turned their attention back to Lyft’s strong financial performance.
This approach was much more effective than saying “no comment.” Being transparent with the media is all about finding the right balance. More information is always better, but too much information isn’t ideal.
Imagine if Risher had detailed how the mistake happened or named the person responsible for Lyft’s financial reporting error. On the one hand, you’d get infinite opinions on your process; on the other, you’d be an evil boss.
Here are my four rules for transparency in public relations including media interview tips and more.
Follow These Tips for Achieving Transparency in PR
1. Know Your Boundaries
On a big-picture scale, know what level of transparency you’re comfortable with as a company. You’re always going to want to share more with the media when things are good than when they’re bad.
That’s okay as long as you’re consistent. Making big transparency shifts at will does not build trust (with the media or your end customers). If you regularly share about company culture on social media but clam up when the press reports on an internal crisis, it will seem like you have something to hide.
Once you’ve set the overall precedent, approach each situation specifically. Whether it’s a new hire (replacing a previous hire) or a communication crisis, take the time to define your boundaries.
Get to know all the major facts and players and decide what you’re able to share first. Then align all of your stakeholders and prep them for interviews to make sure they stay on message (more on that later).
Weigh the pros and cons of keeping information close versus sharing it proactively. These days, nothing stays confidential for long. Cloudflare’s employee firing posted to YouTube is a prime example.
Decide if you want to be the one to tell the world what’s going on or if you want someone else to. I like to say your options are: owned, controlled, and uncontrolled.
You can tell your story via your “owned” channels, collaborate with a reporter to try to influence the end result (“controlled”), or risk having someone leak the news and a story run without your input (“uncontrolled”).
It also goes without saying, but just in case: never lie to a journalist. Your reputation and credibility will be heavily damaged, and that’s just one consequence.
PRO TIP: You can use boundaries to your advantage while upholding transparency in public relations. Say you’re teasing a new partnership announcement: if you can’t tell a reporter who the customer is today, tell them it’s a “household name” and offer them an exclusive in a month when you’re ready to disclose.
2. Make Communication a Habit
One of the best ways to create consistency is to make communication a habit in the early stages of your business.
It could be a monthly newsletter from your CEO to clients, partners, and investors or regular updates from executives on LinkedIn. As long as you’re communicating often, people won’t question it or assume something has gone wrong when they hear from you.
Don’t forget about your internal team. If you can, share news internally before it’s public, whether it’s an acquisition, an executive departure, or a product launch. If you can’t, be mindful of your internal audience and have a plan to answer questions and address concerns.
Your employees are your ambassadors — and your first line of defense in a communication crisis. They’re on the front lines engaging with customers and prospects. Arm them with the up-to-date information they need to handle tough questions and contend with backlash through open and transparent lines of communication.
3. Set Yourself Up to Win
Don’t cut corners when you’re preparing for a high-stakes interview that will touch on sensitive or confidential information. Some steps you absolutely need to take to maintain transparency in public relations:
Do your research: What is the reporter’s angle? What’s their interview style? Who do they usually talk to in a company? Pick the spokesperson who is best positioned to answer their questions — it’s not always the CEO. Sometimes the person closest to the day-to-day is a better fit.
Consider context. Scroll through social media and speak with your employees to understand the mood and sentiment so you can tailor your message appropriately.
Train, train, train. Make sure your spokespeople are aligned on the narrative, know the boundaries, and have the skills to handle curveball questions. Everyone speaking with the media – crisis or not – should be prepared with a media brief that includes at a base-level background on the reporter and the focus of the interview, along with the latest relevant industry hot topics.
If you need to convey empathy, push for a live, face-to-face interview (Zoom or in person). Written Q&As are harder for emotional conversations. If you choose the video route – even if on your own channels – be careful not to come off as fake or tone-deaf (like this CEO did on LinkedIn). People will see right through you.
4. Media Interview Tips for Success
If you’ve chosen the earned media route and your spokesperson is now on with the reporter, it’s up to them to stay on message. Here are some media interview tips to ensure they come off as credible and honest – even through body language:
Focus on your key message. Don’t be tempted to say everything you possibly could about your company — it will only muddy the narrative. Tap into your agreed-upon boundaries here.
Use language that all your stakeholders and the reporter will understand. Know who you’re talking to (you did your research, right?) and tailor your industry jargon to their level of knowledge. Explain in a way that educates but doesn’t patronize the reporter or the end reader. Too much jargon can lead people to think you’re hiding something.
Remember your body language. If you’re trying to convey honesty and openness, don’t cross your arms over your chest. If you’re addressing a serious situation, don’t smile or laugh out of nervousness.
Never say “no comment.” It implies that there’s, in fact, something to comment on. Use tactics like blocking and redirecting to answer the question in a way that reinforces your key message.
Transparency in Public Relations is Tough, But Preparation Will Help You Succeed
The topic of transparency in public relations often comes up in difficult situations. When your company is dealing with a communication crisis, owning up to your mistakes right out of the gate might be the last thing you want to do. Take a step back to evaluate the situation at hand and ensure you aren’t going to add more fuel to the fire.
That’s why getting comfortable with communicating is so important. When you have a strong foundational media strategy and a practice of engaging with the press, finding the right level of media transparency is easy.