Molly McPherson leads a panel with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey discussing how officials and parents spoke about a local tragedy. They break down the rhetoric: what worked, what didn't, media training tactics like repeating questions to buy time, and how humanizing details shaped the message.
There are no words that can capture the horror and the evil of this unspeakable act.
That was Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Fry.
It was the first week of school. They were in a church.
He leveraged it into probably one of the best sound bites I have ever heard in a tragedy. Police Chief Brian o', Hara, when asked.
A question, he either gave the answer. He said, I don't know the answer.
I like that when people can admit they don't know the answer.
He realizes that repeating the question can also give you a chance to regather your thoughts 100%.
He was media trained.
There was a little boy and my.
Friend Victor, he was, like, laying on top of me, like, making sure I was safe. And he got hit.
And again, that puts such a visual in your head.
One other spokesperson who we've seen a lot in the press, Matt DeBoer, he's a principal.
We lost two angels today. Please continue to pray for those still receiving care.
They're reacting in real time to a real tragedy.
And they're speaking so clearly and coherently and with just such compassion.
I thought that the speakers, he and the may a good job of painting that picture. You could just tell that this was a man who was heartbroken for his children.
I thought he was exceptional.
They may not be media trained necessarily, but they're public speaking trained.
We watched the Archbishop Bernard Hebda press conference.
I would never want to correct a principal, but Principal Devore said it wasn't so clear where would be the source of hope.
And brothers and sisters, we have to be men and women of hope. He corrected the principle.
I think he was trying to tie it together and I thought it was great. And for Hebda to come up and correct him was such brad form. I was surprised to see a parent get up to a mic and speak.
I have no idea how he was able to do that. He humanized his son and the tragedy even more.
This is a hard watch, but, boy, was it an easy listen to these spokespeople.
