Case Study
Topic
Working with the Media
Incident / Exercise
Incident: Avian Influenza (H5N1) outbreak at Bernard Matthews site
in Holton, Suffolk in February 2007
Background and Context
Avian Influenza was diagnosed in turkeys in rearing sheds at a
multi-operation site at Holton, Suffolk. The site owner is Bernard
Matthews, a high-profile multi-national operation. All turkeys at the site
were culled. All persons coming into contact with the infected birds were
offered health screening. Restriction and surveillance zones were enforced
from 2 February to 12 March 2007. At the site, restrictions on the turkey
rearing sheds were more prolonged than those on the meat processing
operation. The source of the outbreak was not identified but the strain was
identified as similar to that which caused an outbreak in Hungary, a
country where Bernard Matthews also has commercial interests.
How the Topic was Handled
The national media operation for the outbreak of avian flu and for any
animal disease outbreak is managed centrally by press officers in
Defra's Communications Directorate. Press officers at Defra work
closely with GNN colleagues locally and with the Local Disease Control
Centre (LDCC) to ensure that media are kept up to date consistently at the
national and local level. In addition, at the local level, different
agencies, including in this case Suffolk County Council and Suffolk police,
play an important role in communicating messages to residents and keepers
in the local area.
The return of the nation’s media to Suffolk in February 2007 for the
outbreak of H5N1 came just six weeks after the world’s media focused on the
county for the murder of five Ipswich prostitutes in December 2006.
As a result, the groundwork and firm foundations had already been laid
between communication officers and national correspondents. Indeed for a
number of national and local outlets, it was the same correspondents who
covered both stories.
Having already established this rapport with media representatives,
answering queries and setting up interviews was smoother. The close timing
of two high profile cases also meant that a very strong relationship had
been forged between communication specialists based in different agencies,
especially Suffolk County Council and Suffolk Police.
Likewise, there was an awareness by elected members and officers of the
importance of the media in terms of disseminating key messages, public
reassurance and operational information in times of crisis and emergency.
In technical terms, providing for the demands of interview requests allowed
the communications team to offer three different responses, depending on
the nature of the query.
-
First, the assistant county trading standards officer was lined up to
handle interview requests that would focus on operational procedure, such
as the work of officers going door-to-door or from farm gate to farm
gate. She also put across public reassurance messages. It was very useful
to have one recognisable ‘talking head’ that could be publicly identified
with the operational messages. Her previous experience with the media
stood her in good stead for the onslaught of questions and interview
requests. However, we did find that placing one officer under such
sustained level of media exposure over a number of days meant that this
was a full time role for her during the period.
-
Second, the county’s senior politician for public protection matters,
also gave reassurance messages.
-
Third, a local county councillor, who also lived in the village of
Holton, provided a public face and voice for the local community. She was
a vital link with villages and the town council and gave information on
the spread of Portuguese workers in the factory and surrounding area.
Throughout the bird flu outbreak there were three centres where
communications specialists were based: near the site in Holton, at Gold
command/ Local Emergency Centre and at Suffolk County Council HQ at
Endeavour House in Ipswich. Messages were co-ordinated between the
three points.
This was particularly useful during the first 36 hours for the following
reasons:
-
co-ordination of messages out of Gold to those doing live media
interviews
-
co-ordination of media for pooled facilities, eg. photocall for putting
up restriction zone signs, farm gate visits
-
co-ordination of live press conferences and avoiding the existence of an
information vacuum for the media on site and at newsdesks.
As the story broke over a weekend, the most efficient way to inform the
public was through the media. With this in mind, we made the
assistant county trading standards officer, as the main spokesperson, as
available as possible to the media. She disseminated key public and
operational messages for the general public, poultry farmers, back-yard
chicken keepers, partners and local business.
She undertook live interviews constantly at the scene over the first few
days, explaining what had happened, what the restrictions meant and what
the next steps would be.
Trading standards officers were filmed, but not interviewed, putting up
signs and doing farm gate checks with local poultry owners. Highways staff
were filmed putting up signs at key points entering the different disease
zones that were implemented.
A live press conference was organised near the site within the first 48
hours on Sunday to cater for national news outlets.
The necessary information reached its target quickly and cost effectively
this way. We then followed this up with a mail out of over 92,000 letters
to local residents. The absence of panic among local people, while not
completely removing all concerns, did show that fast, comprehensive
information about the reality of the outbreak had reached those who needed
it most and had reached them with enough detail to take effect.
The campaign also allowed the county’s reputation to be restored quickly
after the restriction zone was lifted.
Lessons Identified
-
During an outbreak, it is vital to manage the media. Whilst in this
outbreak some media interviews were given at the site, media interviews
are NOT encouraged at infected premises so as not to hamper operational
matters by encouraging a large media presence. Media do head to sites
where activity is occurring and Defra will send a Government News Network
(GNN) press officer to supervise and disseminate information, but
responding organisations should not encourage the media by providing a
spokesperson at the scene. All media interviews should be conducted from
the LDCC and no portable media facilities should be provided at the site.
-
Good established relationships with national press and with partner
agencies ensured the media operation hit the ground running.
-
The story breaking over the weekend meant that media was the key outlet
for informing the public.
-
It was invaluable having one recognisable operational expert, who was
media trained, to front up most of the media interviews. However, this
did take up all her time over the first few days, preventing her from
undertaking more of an operational role.
-
Local knowledge on the ground helped us tailor the messages we were
issuing, especially in terms of back-yard chicken keepers and the
sizeable Portuguese community.
Contacts for Further Information
Francis Thomas
Suffolk County Council
Head of Communication
Email: francis.thomas@comms.suffolkcc.gov.uk
Saraid Cann
Suffolk County Council
Communications Manager
Trading Standards
Email: saraid.cann@tradstan.suffolkcc.gov.uk
