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10. MEDIA STRATEGY
Media Disease Response Team ( MDRT)
10.1 The MDRT assumes responsibility for coordinating all media responses and arranging events. They will build on existing relationships with journalists to ensure smooth and rapid information provision while working alongside other UK Administrations and operational partners, such as local authorities, to ensure the national and local media are kept up-to-date and receive an accurate representation of all outbreak related events.
Media tools
10.2 The relationship with the media is a reciprocal one. Scottish Government can expect to receive requests for interviews and information, whilst in turn will also want to use the media to help disseminate information. The full range of media tools will be employed as appropriate, including:
- News Releases;
- Ministerial Statements;
- media briefings;
- tv and radio interviews;
- background features;
- specialist TV programmes;
- advertisements.
- agricultural sections in particular newspapers;
- trade publications;
- visits;
- photography/filming;
- Ceefax and Teletext;
- internet - BBC News etc;
Agricultural and news journalists
10.3 Scotland has a strong agricultural press and specialist sections in some key newspapers. The MDRT will play a key role in ensuring journalists are kept informed of developments and that information is imparted as positively and widely as possible to the industry. Regular up-date and specialist briefings will help to get the Scottish Government message into the public domain.
10.4 Jargon free information on the disease, its implications to animals and the general population will be made available. This information will be crucial in ensuring the wider news media have an understanding of the situation and should help prevent the spread of misinformation or misconception. These materials should be made available on the Scottish Government website.
10.5 On-line media, such as BBC News, should be proactively targeted and is a useful means of getting information into the public domain on fast changing issues. Pod casts and messages can be posted on the Scottish Government's own website. Advertisements and news updates can also be placed on television, radio and on websites.
Strategic feedback on the developing media story
10.6 It will be useful for the MDRT to provide strategic feedback to DSG on what direction the media story is taking and to highlight potential opportunities and threats. This will facilitate informed decision making on how to best drive the story forward.
Local level media coordination
10.7 The Local Communications Officer, based at the LDCC, will share information about media activity with operational partners' press offices. A key means of engagement with operational partners will be through attendance at local level communications coordination meetings at which SCG members will meet to discuss consequence management considerations.
10.8 The Scottish Government's Communications Directorate will also establish a team that will liaise with key communication contacts in the SCGs. This will be another means of engagement.
10.9 Media queries regarding the national, Scottish Government led, disease control response will be referred back to the MDRT at HQ (presently based at St Andrew's House, Edinburgh).
Spokespeople
10.10 Advance consideration must be given to the potential pool of spokespeople, when it is appropriate for them to comment, their training and their briefing.
10.11 The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment is likely to play a central role in speaking to the media. It will also be important for Scottish Government officials to be available who are able to give technical briefings and provide the reassurance that comes with being experts in their field. Chief Veterinary Officer ( CVO) Scotland would assume this role and in turn provide important visible national leadership. Professionals involved in wider consequence management activities, such as CMO Scotland, would be ready to act as spokespeople as required.
10.12 There is scope for DVMs to become involved in media briefings at the LDCC, however this is only likely to occur at least 48 hours into the disease outbreak. In the early stages the DVM and other LDCC staff will be fully occupied with disease control duties and CVO Scotland will have covered all the salient points as national spokesperson.
10.13 Media training should be offered to everyone who has a potential media spokesperson role. In addition, LDCC staff should be briefed from the outset on media awareness so that any approach from journalists is referred to the appropriate channel.
10.14 Operational partners such as the local police are also likely to receive media bids. These type of organisations will be fully briefed on the latest developments and key lines to take via their close lines of communication with the LDCC and SGoRR.
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