Earlier this week, our very own Of Counsel Alison Berry Wilkinson was a featured speaker at the 2022 PORAC Legal Defense Fund Member Conference in Las Vegas on the topic of “Managing the Media and the Message.” Alison and the panel provided a successful and lively presentation, with practical advice, based on real-work examples, for the attendees. The panel discussed how labor unions in general, and police associations in particular, can utilize the wide array of available media options – print, television, and social media – both in advance of, and during, a crisis to help shape the message the public receives about their organization and its individual members. The presentation emphasized: “Don’t be caught short: In today’s world you should be ahead of the curve when it comes to the message being delivered to the media.”

Alison's panel – Lina Balciunas Cockrell and David Kruckenberg – also comes from MAJ. Lina’s extensive experience in broadcast journalism before she became an attorney and her experience with MAJ handling a variety of critical incidents provided important insights into communicating with the media during a crisis. David’s knowledge about how the First Amendment applies to union speech contributed significant substantive depth to the discussion. Alison engagingly shared her hard-earned wisdom from real life situations to demonstrate how you can minimize the potential damage of negative publicity when disaster strikes your organization.

The panel was well received, with one commentator dubbing it: “Best in Show.” Alison, Lina, and David were honored at the invitation to speak on such an important topic.

If you have any questions about this Alert, please contact Alison, Lina, or David.