It used to be officials associations were best served by keeping quiet and giving a “no comment” to any media inquiry. But in today’s world, that just doesn’t work anymore — in fact, that can work against your organization and the officiating industry. It’s important for officiating associations to become more media savvy, even using social media. Here are four initial steps your organization can take:
1. Get Online
If your association doesn’t already have a website or social media presence, take steps to change that. A Facebook page can be quite useful to tout the accomplishments of members and to boost your group’s profile — a move that can pay off big in recruitment. Just be deliberate and careful with what’s posted. Anything posted — even if initially in a seemingly private corner of the internet — can find its way to the masses. So, treat any post as public, even if intended for members-only. Delving into situations in members’ games, commenting on perceived bad behavior by coaches or noting anything that would call into question the impartiality of the officials can only lead to trouble. At the same time, social media provides a great opportunity to put officiating in a positive light.
2. Set a Policy
Venturing into social media — whether by individual members or at the organizational level — is well served with guidelines. That way, everybody has a sense of what’s acceptable and what crosses the line. NASO has developed a list of social media guidelines that organizations can adopt or use as a basis for developing their own. Those guidelines can be found at NASO.org; look under the “Resources” tab.
3. Establish a Media Contact Person
It used to be that “no comment” was the best comment from those in officiating circles. But today’s media landscape demands more. Other voices will fill that silence, voices that will usually do additional harm in already difficult situations. And your members deserve more than silence; if not the local officiating association, who will speak up for them? But not everyone is great at responding to media questions. Find people in your organization who feel comfortable in that role and have the skills necessary to be the lead media contact.
4. Know Your Local Media
Sometimes, it’s better to reach out to the media than to wait for the media to contact you. Have the contact information available so your organization can be proactive with a response in situations that deserve one, such as coming to the defense of a member who is being unfairly criticized.
Taking the time to cultivate a relationship with the local media can be helpful. Serving as a resource to explain rules situations or how officiating works can help avoid coverage spreading misconceptions or misinformation that damages our industry and only makes the work that we do harder.
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