Like many others, we watched with interest – and sadness – as events unfolded at the Crandall Canyon Mine in Utah last August. You’ll recall the mine made headline news when six miners were trapped after a collapse. Ten days later, three rescue workers were killed by a second collapse. Rescue efforts were called off after four weeks.

A number of our clients called or e-mailed us asking whether we had seen any of the press briefings conducted by Robert Murray, owner of Murray Energy Corporation, which operated the mine.

Most who saw him in action – us included – were shocked by his poor media skills.

Chief among his mistakes was his failure to understand that in a tragic event – loss of life or even serious injury – the primary message must center around the dead or injured. Other messages are secondary, and some have no place at all in post-accident communications.

Murray began his August 7 press conference by mentioning that he built the company by mortgaging his home, and cited that accomplishment as proof that “the United States is a great country.”

He then delivered a passionate and lengthy defense of the coal industry, pointing out that low-cost coal accounts for 50 percent of America’s energy production, and that it’s essential to the American standard of living, including American manufacturers’ ability to compete globally. He added, “… every one of the global warming bills that [have] been introduced in Congress today to eliminate the coal industry will increase your electric rates four-to-five-fold.”

Murray even invited the media to join him at a later date to go underground in one of his coal mines “so that you can see for yourself what we do that is essential to the American economy.”

During just about every press briefing or media interview, Murray assumed the role of a coal industry pitchman, hammering home the pro-coal message and giving short shrift to the nine men who perished and their families.

We have no doubt that Murray genuinely cared about the men. When he spoke about them, he did so with what seemed like heartfelt grief. But these comments most likely rang hollow, overshadowed as they were by his commercial messages, his attacks on certain union officials and his lectures to specific media outlets such as Fox News and the Associated Press.

Murray’s performance may long be remembered as an example of how not to conduct a press briefing.

Another mishandled press briefing occurred when an explosion rocked a BP refinery in Texas City, Texas, killing 15 workers. When a proposed plea deal surfaced in February of this year, fining BP $50 million in exchange for avoiding an investigation into the plant’s safety history, an injured plant employee who lost two family members in the blast recalled how a BP executive reassured stockholders and the public that the accident “wasn’t going to slow BP down,” but gave little attention to the victims and their families.

Some tips for communicating empathy during a tragedy:

Errors in news reporting are all too common occurrences – especially in today’s highly competitive news business where being first (rather than being accurate) with a story can give a news outlet a distinct advantage. So what’s the best way to handle these errors?

First, determine how serious the mistake is. Some errors simply warrant no action at all. Case in point: Recently, our firm was one of several quoted in a newspaper article about coaching executives on their communication skills. We were identified as a Dallas-based company instead of Houston-based. No big deal. Some mistakes can be frustrating and may even upset your management, but there’s no real damage done.

What’s more, keep in mind that if you ask for, and get, a correction, the error may be repeated along with the correction. Take a careful, objective look at what happened, and ask yourself if it’s a “go to the mat” situation.

In most cases, the best approach is to contact the reporter directly and point out the mistake. Your objective is to get the reporter to correct his notes and prevent future or follow-up stories from repeating the error. Don’t “run” to the editor first; that’s like going to someone’s boss before trying to resolve a problem directly with the co-worker who caused it. Bad protocol.

If the error is serious, you might want to request a correction, but understand that it probably won’t get the same placement and visibility as the original story. Don’t try to dictate how the correction should be handled. Tell the reporter why the mistake is damaging.

Within minutes of his telephone interview on Larry King Live, former Senator George Mitchell called back to correct factual misstatements being made about Major League Baseball’s steroid problem by another guest on the program. The polite, but assertive, correction was broadcast live.

In situations such as errors in high-profile stories, or mistakes in a series of stories (including mistakes of omission or balance), consider writing a letter to the editor or its broadcast equivalent. Reputable news organizations welcome this feedback.

In rare instances, you might even want to place an ad if there’s a dispute about what was said in an interview, or if the concerns you raise with the news outlet are ignored.

What about threatening to pull or actually pulling your existing advertising as leverage in a dispute? Or refusing future interview requests with a particular reporter or news outlet? Although we can understand why these actions are tempting (why feed the mouth that bites you?), we think there are better ways to deal with problems with the media. Consider meeting with the reporter or with the editor or news director and sharing your concerns, or contact the ombudsman if one’s available.

Successful media relations, as the term suggests, is about establishing and cultivating a good working relationship with the reporters who follow your organization. It’s an ongoing effort, and may occasionally involve working out differences of opinion, but it’s an effort worth making.