Bob Mackin
Four months before the FIFA World Cup, the host committee office inside Vancouver city hall created a flow chart on how to deny interviews and delay information to reporters.
The chart, obtained by theBreaker under freedom of information, shows a two-stage process.
On the first stage, outlets were graded high/medium/low on reach and whether the topic or audience of the outlet “benefits host city aims.”
(City of Vancouver/FOI)
On the second stage, response time, reporting bias and editorial standards (accuracy and professionalism).
If “balanced/positive,” then an interview would be planned. If “negative,” then a statement would be provided.
Under editorial standards, one of three responses: interview, statement or “do not respond, holding line, refer to channels or future update.”
Natasha Qereshniku, the host committee office’s communications lead, explained the rationale in a February internal email. “Media inquiry criteria: If we are aligned on this, that would mean we would not be responding to all inquiries which would be visible in the closed calls [marketing and communications] see every day. I think we would need to socialize our determined approach at that level to get ahead of questions.”
In March, Qereshniku wrote: “The idea being if stage 1 is high to media reach and a topic we want to gain coverage on, or a benefit to our aims, we move to stage 2 and then respond.”
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