prior to external release. One important role for the central information clearinghouse is to manage crisis situations should they develop. It might be advisable for the Space Solar Power Program to retain a crisis management consulting firm in case of a serious and large-scale crisis, such as a disaster during space construction, or a satellite falling out of orbit Finally, in our information policy, we should take care to avoid the mistake, made by many space agencies, of creating dangerously high expectations in the mind of the public. We must be careful not to over-inform the public. In general, it is wise to publicize a project in such a manner that expectations are very conservative and humble. That way if things go well, it will seem as if the project performed even better than expected, and if things go badly, the project will not seem to be a total failure. Our enthusiasm should be tempered by a realistic outlook —the public relations team of the organization should project a well-balanced image that brings about well-balanced expectations. Media Relations The media is the primary channel through which the Space Solar Power Program will interface with the public. Therefore, it is important to operate according to a well-defined media relations policy. Of particular concern to this policy is the journalism community, for initially it will be the opinion of this community that forms the public's “first impression” of the Space Solar Power Program. Every effort should be taken to produce clear, frank, and concise public relations material which is specifically aimed at providing a balanced portrayal of the Space Solar Power Program to media representatives. Such materials ought to present a top-level view of the project and the organization, a technical summary of the Program in easy to understand language, a summary of the positive aspects of it, and a set of convincing responses to likely criticisms of it. The purpose of this last section will be to refute any potential criticisms that reporters might conceive of. The idea here is to think ahead, to answer criticisms before they are made into mass-media issues, and thus “take the wind out of their sails.” It much easier to stop a criticism before it is published than after. As well as avoiding a negative portrayal in the press, we should also take steps to bring about a positive portrayal. To do this, we ought to follow standard procedures for impressing press representatives. For instance, facility tours, press-releases, invitations to all important events such as conferences and announcements, high-level interviews whenever possible, and a very accommodating and cooperative full time press relations staff should be provided to the press by the ISPO. In addition, it would be wise to cultivate long-term relationships with individual reporters and pressrepresentatives so as to be able to educate them to a high level of knowledge about the project. When the press visits, make sure to log the affiliation, names of the reporters, and the publication/broadcast time of each report. Have a press representative witness the report if possible, and request a copy of the report once it is available for archival purposes from the press while they are present. It is also a good idea to provide a standardized database to the Space Solar Power Program press representatives with which to rate press reports according to their favorability of the project. Later, this database can be utilized to specially invite favorable reporters to important events, and to send them press releases etc. The press should be held accountable for its mistakes. If and when mistakes are made that could harm the position of the Space Solar Power Program in the public eye, a response must be made and a high- level complaint should be lodged with the offending press organization. This should ensure that a correction and apology will be made. If necessary, legal action should be threatened in extreme cases of irresponsibility on die part of the press. It is important to take an active role when dealing with the press so that reporters realize that they need to be especially thorough in checking their facts when covering the Space Solar Power Program. When interfacing with the media there are various considerations specific to particular domains: Television When working with television crews, realize that their time is extremely limited and often they beam their reports in live or on short advance for news broadcasts. Therefore, be ready in advance to host television crews with representatives. Furthermore, it is important to prepare members of the ISPO for television visits, as a shabby mode of dress, inappropriate behavior, or a careless intrusion into live location shoot can be embarrassing to the organization. If classified material or objects exist near a video shoot site, it is necessary to limit the access of the press, since they tend to film whatever they think looks interesting without asking. Never allow a television crew to roam a facility unattended, always provide a knowledgeable liaison. Also note that once an image is on tape, it is almost
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