PBSA

PBSA Journal PAGE 6 JULY/AUG 2021 Except where otherwise indicated, articles are copyright © by PBSA 2021. All rights reserved. A PBSA Public Relations Case Study: DOB Redaction in Michigan T here are moments in our industry when PBSA must pull all its resources together to push back against harmful legislation, regulations or rules that threaten public safety and the ability of our members to do their jobs. Recently, we faced such a moment in Michigan as the state courts prepared to implement a rule that would redact dates of birth from public court records. Multiple PBSA volunteers, staff and member companies worked together to fight this rule, and one of our strategies was an aggressive public relations campaign in the state. In this article, we will examine how public relations can be a valuable tool in achieving our goals using our efforts in Michigan as a case study. The Problem: Earlier this summer, the Michigan State Court Administrative Office announced it would be implementing a new rule that redacted dates of birth from court records. PBSA and a coalition of concerned parties spent weeks communicating our issues with this rule directly to decision-makers at the courts, but they refused to rescind the rule or work together to come up with an alternative solution that worked for all parties. It became clear that an aggressive public relations strategy that would alert the public to the negative consequences of this rule was necessary to put pressure on the courts. The Solution: Our public relations strategy incorporated the following tactics: Messaging: Many issues that concern the background screening industry are nuanced, and this was no exception. The first step in our strategy was to develop a message that would capture the attention of the media and the general public in Michigan. As a result, we framed the issue as such: "This rule will have devastating consequences for hiring in Michigan, as professional background screeners will be largely unable to conduct background screening." The employment argument is a compelling one, particularly as Michigan's economy is just beginning to rebound from COVID and hundreds of thousands of Michiganders are looking for work. Supporting messages included public safety in workplaces and housing communities, and the impact the rule would have on the viability of small background screening companies in the state. We then developed talking points to be used in all communications with the media. Media Relations: Once we had our messaging in place, it was time to engage the media. We developed a targeted list of reporters at key publications and TV news stations in the state who write about employment and the courts, and sent them personalized pitches about the rule and its impacts on employment, the state's economy and public safety. We also developed a statement from PBSA on the rule and sent that out to a broad list of reporters in the state. Reporters were extremely interested in the issue, and we arranged several interviews with PBSA's Executive Director Melissa Sorenson and Michigan-based member companies who could provide a local voice. Part of our media strategy also included opinion pieces. We drafted and placed an opinion-editorial in The Public Relations Update By Seven Letter Continued on page 7 The employment argument is a compelling one, particularly as Michigan's economy is just beginning to rebound from COVID and hundreds of thousands of Michiganders are looking for work.

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