A Media Request for Preppers

I received this email from a lady who had previously contacted me about a show she was producing.  While any other time I would be happy to oblige and be more than willing to share my survival/preparedness views with people who really could use the knowledge, alas my work precludes me from doing so at this time.  However, if you are a knowledgeable prepper and willing to share your lifestyle with the public, this may be something you want to consider.  I, for one, will be interested to watch the show and have requested that the producer send me the air dates when available so I can post them here on the blog.

"I'm currently casting for a pilot television show about preppers/survivalists. I think you may be a great resource for finding well prepared people, who would be open to appearing on camera. I'm wondering if you would be willing to post this info on your blog, or just pass this info along to anyone you think would be interested.

The gist:
It’s a 30 minute show, and we will feature two stories. We are mostly interested in seeing what the person has prepared or prepped, and right now we’re specifically looking for someone with a stocked bunker or extensive prep. The idea is to meet the person and see what they've prepared, then bring in a survivalist expert to evaluate how long you could actually live for if a catastrophe were to happen.

The purpose of the show is not to exploit beliefs, we actually want to cast people who the viewers will be able to relate to. We also want to feature someone who has prepped extensively, either in the home, or in a bunker. We really want something visually stunning.

This has been extremely hard to cast because of the secretive nature of the people who are preparing--which is completely understandable. I am contacting you because I think it's important to get the word out about survivalists/preppers--that they aren't all crazy people, that most of them are smart, well-informed people who we could take a lesson from. And I am hoping you will be able to pass this info along if you know someone who may be interested in participating.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you for your time!

Michelle Reindal | producer | screaming flea productions | mreindal@sfpseattle.com"

What to Do When You Find Yourself in the Middle of a Media Frenzy

Watching this whole "Octuplet Mom" fiasco on the news is like watching a train wreck. This is a clear example of someone who has never had to deal with the media and is suddenly thrust into the spotlight. It was the same with some of Sarah Palins interviews--didn't her handlers hire a media relations specialist to teach her how to use the media to her advantage instead of letting her go off into the wilds of public media scrutiny by herself? Anyway, since this is a preparedness blog, here are some tips to prepare you for the very slight chance that you may find yourself in the middle of a media storm:

• Be prepared. You need to know your subject backwards and forwards. Have written information to use if you suddenly blank out.
• Stay with your message. You want to get your message across, not be drug around by the nose by the reporter.
• Always tell the truth. Lies will be quickly unraveled so save yourself the grief and backlash.
• Don't speculate. Some reporters will ask you to give them answers to "what if" scenarios or ask you to guess about the answers to some questions. Don't do it. The information you give can take on a life of its own even if it turns out not to be true.
• If you don't know an answer, say you don't know. You may not know everything so there is no shame in saying you don't know something. This is better than guessing (see above).
• Keep your answers short and concise. There is less room to make mistakes if you give clear, concise answers rather than rambling, disjointed soliloquy.
• Never go "off the record"; this only happens on TV sitcoms. Whatever you say to a reporter, on camera, or on mic will be broadcast far and wide so be careful of what you say.
• Be poised and professional. Dress appropriately and keep your cool. Arguing, yelling, or going after the cameraman doesn't help your case at all.
• Don't blame others or slam others, just give the facts as fairly as possible. Disparaging remarks made about others rarely makes them look worse but it does make you look pretty bad. Don't do it. Like your momma said, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it.
• State your own case. If a reporter phrases an answer and asks if you agree, the quote can be attributed to you.
• Don't fall for manipulative tactics from reporters or others. This makes for the best TV but you don't want to be remembered for the gaff shown round the world.
• Hire a professional media advisor; depending on the situation, they may be worth their weight in gold (**cough** Sarah Palin).
• Hold a press conference if necessary. It won't move the reporters off of your lawn but it will allow you to control the situation a bit more rather than giving the random off-balance quote to a whole string of reporters.
• Build good relationships with the media. If you will be working with the media often, it makes sense to build good relationships with them as this can come in quite handy in the future.

That's about all. The media can be your best friend or your worst enemy depending on how it is used. If you do find yourself in a spotlight situation, remember these tips in order to keep your message clear while also keeping you out of trouble.