Late in my career, my pre retirement job involved taking press inquiries immediately after an accident – even though the company had a press office. The stock position was to say nothing, said politely and firmly – “the authorities are investigating”.
However, the press still requires their story, they need something. So I kept a list of telephone numbers and web addresses (nothing quite like the web for diverting attention) of the major manufacturers, regulators, safety organizations, and reputable safety statistic sites; not the investigators. Giving the press something – even a wild goose chase, quickly closed the conversation – not too wild a deviation, you have to protect your professional integrity and reputation, and don’t misjudge the press’s capabilities or their intentions, see below.
… the importance of avoiding generalisation about the media’s rush to speculate about the causes of an adverse event.
The reliance on expert opinion suggests that greater attention might be paid to educating those safety professionals about the consequences of their speculation. The journalists already seem anxious to avoid direct speculation.
Our study also revealed that speculation thrives in a vacuum.
from
Newspaper and Online News Reporting of Major Accidents.