The headline of the article reads, “Card threatened with extinction.” Nice and catchy … And of course that’s exactly the point because we need to read this.

Making headlines (both online and in newspapers) is a craft. Creators do everything they can to get as many views or readers as possible. Whether the headline covers the story is less relevant. In this case, the article is rather biased as well.

What’s up? Post NL announced that mailboxes will be emptied during the day instead of at the end of the day. The article suggests that this will make it increasingly difficult to send a card “to your grandmother”. Why, you can send that card just fine, only it will be put in the “mailbag” at a different time. And that card really does arrive.

See here framing of the news. As Post NL, this does not make you happy, because it is not true. It gives a negative image of your organization. But what do you do about it? At least write a press release that is as short and clear as possible, with an appealing example showing that you can send that card just fine and that nothing has changed.

And then just hope you have some goodwill with the media. Because ultimately, they can make and break you. That’s something you can work on by getting good advice. One thing is crucial here: short-term politics won’t get you there. You need to build a long-term vision when it comes to your communications and media policy. That is an important foundation within your organization to avoid becoming a plaything of publications and posts.