UK Government News Network wins crisis management PR award

The Central Office of Information's Government News Network (GNN), in conjunction with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), scooped first place in the Issues and Crisis Management category at this week’s PR Week Awards 2007 ceremony - beating off competition from companies such as Tesco and British Airways.

The beaching of storm-ravaged container vessel MSC Napoli in January this year on the East Devon coast created massive media and public interest. To help deal with this, MCA drafted in GNN to help handle the incident.
GNN developed a strategy to address key issues arising from the incident, which incorporated briefing the media, addressing environmental concerns and dissuading would-be salvagers from coming to the beach.

The rigorous media handling support GNN provided to MCA included setting up a media centre in Sidmouth, managing press conferences and requests for interviews with coastguards and other professionals, and joint communications work with PR teams at Devon County Council, The National Trust and the Environment Agency.

Mark Clark, head of press and public relations for MCA said: "This is a well deserved tribute to GNN who worked tirelessly to help provide a professional media response from the MCA to the hundreds of journalists clamouring for information and interviews about the stricken vessel."

Alan Bishop, COI's chief executive said: "I'm delighted that the team has won this award. GNN work extensively with the emergency services and local authorities to prepare them for events like the Napoli and it's fantastic that the industry recognises that in a crisis, GNN are the people to call."

The GNN team consisted of Peter Whitbread, Robin Miller and Wailim Wong, who were supported by COI's Regional Media Monitoring Unit.

•Date: 26th October 2007• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Crisis communications
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