If web sites or ‘Media Sections’ weren’t created based on the needs of journalists, who are increasingly overworked and with tight deadlines and even-shorter attention spans, they would reduce or even ignore coverage of the company completely, rather than persevere with the site or go back to it in the future, a recent US study found.

The major complaint was that journalists could rarely find fact-based, straightforward information about what a company does, quickly and easily – and neither of course can customers, according to the Nielsen Norman Group's study.

Journalists also complained about jargon and ‘insider’ terminology, which they (and other stakeholders) don’t understand, and they wanted an easy way of identifying the right contact to source additional information.

So, if the media is important to your operations, or you are considering a ‘Media Section’ on your web site:

1. Design a web site that has the capacity to put information on the home page immediately (most Content Management Systems can do this) in case of an emergency.

When heroic pilot Chesley Sullenberger piloted the US Airways flight into the Hudson River, saving all passengers and capturing media attention around the world, more than two hours later the airline had no message on its website homepage or media section. But the media and desperate family members seeking information immediately bombarded the site seeking the facts. A simple statement confirming what was known, a phone number for more information and a promise to update information as soon as it became available could have made the airline look as much a hero as their pilot.

The major energy supplier to Sydney has a web site with no ‘news’ section on the home page and the media section is under the About Us drop down menu (you can however pay your bill and learn energy saving tips from the site). When much of the city and eastern suburbs were paralysed by a power outage late one afternoon, with the Harbour tunnel shut down, traffic lights off and thousands of offices in darkness with people trapped in lifts, there was no message on the home page and a media release only appeared on the web site after power was restored. True, journalists could page the media office for updates or sign up to receive them electronically, but watching the television news coverage over the time of the power cut, this didn’t appear to work well in terms of valuable information being released.

Television news readers only knew there was a power cut and where it was. They could show pictures of traffic jams and emergency workers entering buildings to free those trapped in lifts, and then announce it was over. But the coverage showed they had no idea what had happened, what was being done by the energy company or how long it would take to resolve while it continued. And the energy provider looked anything other than responsive to its customers’ needs.

Look at media web sites for inspiration – when Melbourne experienced an earth tremor one night, The Age newspaper web site had a brief note on their home page within minutes identifying reports of a tremor. As more details came in they updated and expanded the coverage.

If you want to take control of a situation, you need to have accurate, timely information where it is easy to find.

2. Identify the name and contact number of the person who can help a journalist – and put it where it is easy to find.

Also, ensure that person is contactable or another person answers their phone/checks their emails and follows up if they are unavailable.

3. Include easy-to-find, factual information (without hype/jargon) about the organisation with up-to-the-minute statistics and details.

And don’t forget about historical data like the year the organisation was founded, the number of employees, the names and titles of key executives, the full list of products etc.

4. Highlight and correct inaccurate or out of date information that appears in the media or on your web site.

If your web site doesn’t, incorrect information will endlessly be quoted. And if your organisation faces a contentious issue, deal with it clearly and openly on your web site, so journalists can get accurate, current information from your perspective.

An article in the Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Living section suggested Australia should not grow rice for environmental reasons as it was a high water use crop (international water use figures from areas with high rainfall were given) and local production figures of 1.3million tonnes per annum were quoted.

Unfortunately the Sunrice (the marketer of Australian rice) web site still quotes a production figure of around 1 million tonnes annually (the Sunrice 2008 annual report on the same site quotes a crop at 65,992 tonnes, while ABARE – the Australian Bureau of Agricultural Resource and Economics - predicted the 2009-10 harvest at 165,000 tonnes, recognising this as an increase on previous years). Information on water use efficiency is virtually hidden under the ‘Education’ section in poorly reproduced graphs. Stating “Australia is one of the most efficient and environmentally sustainable rice producers in the world” and talking about “embedded water” without clear statistics or explanations to justify the hype doesn’t help the industry counter criticisms – or assist journalists researching a story.

The Ricegrowers’ Association (the farmers’ body) web site quotes production of between a million and 1.7 million tonnes  and includes a question on whether Australia should grow rice, given it is the driest continent, and responds “we grow varieties that suit our temperate climate…to suggest that rice should not be grown in Australia would be to suggest that no food or fibre should be grown in our country”. The web site also quotes Californian statistics on the amount of water needed to produce a serve of various foods, including rice. The site also states that over the last ten years Australian rice farmers have improved water use efficiency by 60%, although it doesn't substantiate the claim.

Clear, simple, easy-to-find, up to date facts help journalists write accurate stories. Ignore this reality at your peril.

5. Don’t use the latest technological wizardry on the site

Journalists, particularly freelancers working from home, won't be impressed if they can’t access information without downloading the latest software or wait endlessly till images/videos download and eat up their high speed download allocation.

6. If appropriate, link to other credible site pages which reinforce the organisation’s position.

B&A would be happy to discuss how to improve your communication with the media via your website. Contact B&A today on 02-97891263 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it