The old idiom bad news sells is still true in the digital age, but museums can build better relationships with journalists to ensure balanced coverage, according to the editor of the Liverpool Echo.
Speaking at the Museums Association’s Conference and Exhibition in Liverpool, Alastair Machray told delegates that newspapers expect museums “to do your jobs well – therefore [when you do] it’s not a story, it’s just what we expect”.
Newspapers, he said, championed communities, upheld democratic balance and held democratic makers to account – but needed to sell papers and attract web audiences in order to do those things.
“We have had dreadful rows with David [Fleming, director of National Musems Liverpool] and Phil [Redmond, chairman of National Museums Liverpool] but we still enjoy a very good relationship. It is a lasting relationship and one of trust.”
His advice to museums that want to build better relationships with the media included not trying to spin journalists, treat them like adults and understand that bad news sells. “Trust us to do the story by investing in the relationship,” he said.
Also speaking in the session, Janita Bagshaw, director of Royal Pavilion and head of Brighton museums, and Iain Watson, director of Tyne and Wear Archives and Musems, shared some of their experiences dealing with bad press coverage.
Watson said: “When there is bad news around, try to make sure you get your message across… Ask for written questions and reply in writing [as] it is too easy in conversations not to realise you’re on the record. It’s not about withholding information but you’re not necessarily able to give them what they want - a tale of doom.”
Bagshaw said freedom of information requests Brighton and Hove Council have received asking details about the stored collection enabled her to pre-empt headlines such as “Council refuses to sell collection”.
In another bad news story, the local paper took the museum to task for recruiting a blogger at the same time as making redundancies. The press story ended up generating more interest in the advertised role.
Bagshaw said: “Bad news can be good news – and how much worse is no news.”
For full audio of this session, please click here
Speaking at the Museums Association’s Conference and Exhibition in Liverpool, Alastair Machray told delegates that newspapers expect museums “to do your jobs well – therefore [when you do] it’s not a story, it’s just what we expect”.
Newspapers, he said, championed communities, upheld democratic balance and held democratic makers to account – but needed to sell papers and attract web audiences in order to do those things.
“We have had dreadful rows with David [Fleming, director of National Musems Liverpool] and Phil [Redmond, chairman of National Museums Liverpool] but we still enjoy a very good relationship. It is a lasting relationship and one of trust.”
His advice to museums that want to build better relationships with the media included not trying to spin journalists, treat them like adults and understand that bad news sells. “Trust us to do the story by investing in the relationship,” he said.
Also speaking in the session, Janita Bagshaw, director of Royal Pavilion and head of Brighton museums, and Iain Watson, director of Tyne and Wear Archives and Musems, shared some of their experiences dealing with bad press coverage.
Watson said: “When there is bad news around, try to make sure you get your message across… Ask for written questions and reply in writing [as] it is too easy in conversations not to realise you’re on the record. It’s not about withholding information but you’re not necessarily able to give them what they want - a tale of doom.”
Bagshaw said freedom of information requests Brighton and Hove Council have received asking details about the stored collection enabled her to pre-empt headlines such as “Council refuses to sell collection”.
In another bad news story, the local paper took the museum to task for recruiting a blogger at the same time as making redundancies. The press story ended up generating more interest in the advertised role.
Bagshaw said: “Bad news can be good news – and how much worse is no news.”
For full audio of this session, please click here
