Emergency Services PIOs Learn How To Address The Media

Speaking in front of the media can be challenging at times, and while there are jobs that require one to do so, learning the do’s and don’ts can make the experience a little easier.

Last week, about 20 Public Information Officers (PIO’s) from various emergency services were in Sheridan to take a PIO training course that was put on through FEMA.

Those who attended learned about how different forms of media work in general, and participated in a mock press conference, where they were critiqued about how well they knew and presented their information.

LaRae Dobbs is the Emergency Management Coordinator for Big Horn County, Wyoming.

She explains some of the mistakes that PIO’s make regardless of both who they work for, and how much experience they have in the field.

“People jumping into the middle of an answer, without listening to the question, and so they’re answering what they had in their mind, rather than the question that was asked and also being able to present themselves in a way that is comfortable and yet confident rather than projecting being so over. There’s a lot of giggling, a lot of um’s, a lot of movement that happens when they’re up in front of people when they haven’t practiced in front of a mirror, or in front of a group and they’ve never been video’d, so they haven’t seen what it looks like.”

Dobbs adds PIO’s also have to keep in mind who and/or what they are representing.

Some PIO’s get their start by working for a media organization, then move on to their current role after getting personal experience on how some media works.