No matter how much experience you have with the media you still need to be sure and prepare a lot for crisis situations.

I can't over-emphasize the value of preparation, both for media training and practicing key messages. A lot of people think they're good with the media until it comes to a crisis. Some people are great for routine interviews and can't do a crisis interview. The only way you know that is by testing them under media training.

Crisis communications-you wouldn't necessarily have a different crisis communications policy, but a crisis communications plan-actually provides the detailed procedure for responding to crisis and delineates how that differs from responding to routine, positive news.

You can get much more information about how to deal with reporters and work with them in interviews, whether crises or not, in How to Keep the Media Wolves at Bay.