Engaging the Media
Q&A with Paul DeMatteis

Get out of Manhattan through the tunnels and ride along the tank farms near the New Jersey coast. It’s the real-life equivalent of opening screen titles from an early ‘Sopranos’ episode. It is also an unsettling experience if you remember a recent article by Paul DeMatteis on potential terrorist threats to areas around hazardous chemical processing and transportation centers.

While you are on the road, driving by the ‘homes’ of large chemical companies and gasoline cracking plants, you are tempted to ask if they’ve undergone recent threat vulnerability assessments. When you breathe unpleasant fumes while on the turnpike, you may also want to be assured that there is a plan in place to mitigate or ‘neutralize’ potential terrorist attacks adjacent to the highways.

Paul DeMatteis, formerly corporate security director for Prudential Financial, and now a principal and consultant at Global Security Risk Management, LLC got media coverage and
feature stories for his provocative research and opinion pieces. His focus: how the chemical manufacturing and transportation industries must neither underestimate nor remain complacent in the face of potential terrorist threats. As he says, our enemies have the capabilities and the resolve.

We caught up with Paul, and took the opportunity to learn more about his work with the media. We wanted to know how he got positive exposure and sympathetic coverage for his position. Paul’s pieces are in print in The New York Times and on have aired on WNBC & FOX NEWS. He has an upcoming article pending for a business-continuity publication and is working with WNBC on an additional story. If you missed the WNBC broadcast it can be reviewed from their web page (www.globalsecurityrm.com).

Paul is now considered a go-to industry expert by various news organizations. The extra emphasis has helped deliver his message to thousands of readers and viewers, reminding them that this is the time to prepare. Paul’s focus is always clear: take a proactive approach and harden local targets. Ideally, we can deter terrorists from focusing on facilities in our area right now.

Below, Paul gives us some pointers on how he accessed media coverage for important issues. He reveals his approach to some of the stickier issues. He shares ideas for gaining
name and professional recognition with the 4th estate.

Prior to doing consulting work, was ‘media relations’ one of the tasks you handled for former employers? Did that affect your approach to the media work you are doing now?

I never had corporate responsibility for working with the media. I have, in fact, always tried to steer clear of commenting on company issues in the media. Corporate media is best left to the Communications Department. I made it a firm practice to get prior approval from my corporate employers before working with the media on any project.

If security practitioners have an important message to get out, how do you suggest that they develop stronger media relationships?

The media is always looking for new information to share with the public. I only select projects that I feel will benefit from media attention. I would recommend fellow members develop a brief storyline or presentation on their concerns. I have used documents, PowerPoint presentations, video and photographs in my initial presentations. I carefully identify media sources and personalities who would be interested and who would appropriately relay the message I am focused on delivering.

After I identify the right organizations and individuals, I contact them both via telephone and e-mail with my concepts. I research their previous work to determine their style. My main objective is to get a personal appearance to develop the story and negotiate some level of control over its content. I have worked with the media on many issues that I think
crucial since the mid-eighties and my approach is always very cautious. I am conscious of the fact that we have different agendas and always try to work with someone who has common concerns. I have turned down and/or backed out of a fair amount of media projects if I can not contribute relevant information or I feel that my objectives may be compromised.

Are most media organizations willing to let you review material before it goes out in print or over the airwaves to ensure no misquotes or misrepresentations?

I always try to negotiate creative control and direction for story lines. Realistically I have only been able to fully review and comment on about one third of the work before it goes to print or air. The amount of review varies, depending on the former. For written material, if I can not fully review the article I try to position myself to at least do a fact check.

For live TV broadcasts I am often only told the subject matter and left in the hands of on-air personalities. If you face this type of appearance, fully prepare yourself for all relevant and possible lines of questioning. In general it takes me about four to six hours to prepare for five-minute appearance and things do not always work out as planned. I will indicate I am not willing to talk about certain subject matters on-air and be asked that very point during the third question. Prerecorded broadcasts may appear to give you more leverage in the reviewing process but realistically you may not be able to review the footage before it airs.

Did it ever happen that the material presented was not fully accurate? What did you do?

I think anyone working with the media must understand that there will always be some level of inaccuracy. To minimize this risk I try to provide my comments in writing. Before an interview, I present a list of topics and responses. After a print interview, I will follow up with a summary of my comments, plus additional useful information. If you’re working with a reliable media source, accuracy is very high on their list of concerns. In written format, I have had one or two minor quotes incorrectly reported where little interest was shown in making corrections.

Most people are reluctant to go to the media. Did you have any reservations? Were there steps you took to ensure a more successful outcome?

I am always reluctant. But like any project, if you are thoroughly prepared for both direct and indirect questions concerning the topic, it will help to ensure a good outcome. Be prepared for the interviewer or reporter to lay claim to the work that developed the story.

Many public relations firms look to have their clients become spokespeople, or go-to people to represent an industry or segment of an industry. Do you now find media organizations have you on their ‘contact’ list? What are you asked about? Do they use soundbites from you about other subjects than what you covered in your original presentations? Can you elaborate?

I have found that one good media exposure appears to get additional media attention. I have been asked to comment on a wide range of topics, but am very particular about subjects I am willing to discuss. I have surprised more media scheduling staff by declining to comment or recommending someone else if content of interviews or commentary was not within my comfort areas. As far as I know, my sound bites or clips have not been used out of context but the audience might be a better judge of that than me. Only once the Star Ledger used an interview from another publication in their newspaper and made it appear that they’d interviewed me directly. They used my quotes and developed their own questions.

Are there any new security-related subjects that you believe will be getting more ‘air play’ in the near future?

Yes, I think the way both corporations and the Government evaluate risk concerning future terrorist attacks is likely to get a lot of air time in the near future. Many of the mitigating controls I’ve seen developed or implemented today will not be effective against a dedicated adversarial attack.

In your experience which media group has been the most professional in the way they have worked with you?

I would firmly state WNBC. I found both the on and off-air staff to be professional and concerned with the subject matter they present. When I asked them not to indicate exact
location, talk about a particular subject matter and/or to address certain issues delicately, they agreed and kept their word.

In conclusion

There are many ups and downs when working with the media. I am far from a media expert. I’ve appeared in print and on air approximately two dozen times and am pleased to share my experience with other members. There is very little personal gain; I get involved when topics are ones to which I can contribute. It’s important to note that there is great risk of a negative outcome, or at least a less than favorable one. Before committing
to an interview, evaluate the situation carefully. It would be hard to enter the interview process knowing there is little or no control for the interviewee. Be prepared to say no and refuse to answer questions designed to sensationalize or distort the facts.

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