FEMA Holds Fake News Conference, Gets Caught, Apologizes
 

FEMA – bless its heart – had some of its employees pose as reporters at a “news conference” that no actual reporters attended. The Washington Post broke the story, and so FEMA has apologized.

What can I say?
Heckuva job!

Reuters reports:
http://www.reuters.com/article/lates.../idUSN26366100

Brief excerpts:

The U.S. government's main disaster-response agency apologized on Friday for having its employees pose as reporters in a hastily called news conference on California's wildfires that no news organizations attended.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency . . . . issued the apology after The Washington Post published details of the Tuesday briefing.

. . . No actual reporter attended the news conference in person, agency spokesman Aaron Walker said.


. . . The agency had called the briefing with about 15 minutes notice as federal officials headed for southern California to oversee and assist in firefighting and rescue efforts. Reporters were also given a telephone number to listen in on but could not ask questions.

But with no reporters on hand and an agency video camera providing a feed carried live by some television networks, FEMA press employees posed the questions . . . .

As some in the PR world say, the only thing worse than a poorly attended press conference is a well-attended press conference that goes poorly!

Step 1: Announce your press conference ahead of time
Step 2: If you fail to do Step 1, prepare for no one to attend your press conference
Step 3: Make your briefing complete enough by answering those anticipated questions in the actual briefing instead of attempting to fake it.

I should get a consulting fee...