How to navigate a bad headline
Bad press happens, here's what to do about it
Early-stage climate and energy companies are bound to face skepticism. We’re talking about developing all-electric planes, AI drones, and sustainable fuels – of course there will be doubters. Given the current political landscape, scrutiny is higher than ever. So, how can your company get ahead of this proactively – and what happens if a reporter does write something negative?
Proactive reputation management
Let’s start at the beginning. From Day 1, there are precautions every early-stage company should take to get ahead of this concern.
Build an ironclad narrative
First, it all starts with having your story down and proving the technology works. This means investing the time and money into technical papers, research and validation, and other rigorous analysis that supports your company’s claims. The more empirical evidence, the harder it becomes for critics to dismiss or critique the innovation or business model. This is particularly important for hard-tech focused companies; the science has to be unbreakable.
Evidence alone isn’t enough; consistency across all company spokespeople is key. Everyone from the CEO to the scientists to the marketing & sales team should be able to articulate the same core messages about the technology and its impact. It’s a reporter’s job to find the gaps and nail down any exaggerated claims. Being as buttoned up as possible means leaving no room for misinterpretation or mistakes.
Carve out your unique value proposition
Equally as critical is ensuring that your company is truly differentiated from your peers and competitors. This differentiation needs to be authentic and provable; not just marketing speak. What specific value do you bring that others don't? Are there case studies or strategic partners you can tout?
Knowing how you stand out from the crowd is crucial – especially if companies in your industry have already received criticism… which brings us to the next point.
Do your research
Have you done your research on your peers and predecessors? It’s important to know what coverage is out there already. Maybe others made claims that couldn't be substantiated. Or, perhaps a reporter has dissected and debunked the environmental impact of a similar company. Learn from others' experiences to avoid similar pitfalls.
At the same time, knowing the “holes” in their stories can also help you get ahead to address those in your messaging and wider strategy so you’re not grouped together in a potential piece down the line.
Strike only when your story is ready
Don't engage with media too early, before your technology and messaging are ready for scrutiny. Speaking with that Bloomberg reporter might sound nice, but are you truly ready? Premature exposure can lead to skepticism that's difficult to overcome later… and it may even come back to haunt you at a much later time as your company is trying to raise funding or close your next deal.
When it’s time to engage with reporters, make sure you’re vetting each reporter carefully – knowing their past coverage inside and out. Have they been skeptical about similar technologies before? Have they been shown a certain bias towards a particular industry or technology? Maybe they’ve had reservations about your lead investor or partner.
There’s no such thing as too much preparation
If this is the right reporter to tell your story to, preparation is still vital. Your company spokespeople need to thoroughly prepare before each and every interview. You can’t tell the same story to TechCrunch or PitchBook that you’re telling to a local outlet covering a local project and it’s definitely not the same story for The Washington Post. This means anticipating difficult questions; having answers ready and numbers and proof on hand to reference. Practice, but don’t memorize a script. You should have an authentic, two-way conversation.
Turning challenges into opportunities
Sometimes, despite best efforts, signals still get crossed. What can you do if this still happens and a negative piece of coverage comes out?
Act quickly
Get back to the reporter ASAP. If the article contains factual inaccuracies, provide the correct information clearly and politely. This is where you can share whitepapers or other data to prove your claims. If it's a matter of perspective or particular emphasis, share additional context that might help form a more complete picture. Maybe it’s just one missing word or only the headline itself… or the bigger picture story. Either way, maintaining professionalism is of utmost importance to make sure things aren’t made worse. Don’t pick a fight; have an honest conversation.
Time is of the essence and you want to engage before the piece is picked up further by other outlets or it’s nitpicked across social media.
Leverage your allies
Communicate proactively with stakeholders like your investors, partners and employees so they aren’t caught off guard and have the appropriate context if pressed about the coverage. Your partners and investors may even have words of wisdom to help you.
Depending on the situation, a public response may be warranted. Think about how you can convey your position in your own channels.
Learn for next time
At the end of the day, this can be an experience to inform and refine your messaging. Is there a part of your story that isn’t being clearly understood? Is there data missing that could clear this up? Was there a piece of messaging the spokesperson forgot to hit? How can you be better prepared next time so this doesn't happen again?
Build your comms fortress
Today’s headline could be tomorrow’s opportunity to demonstrate your resilience and commitment to your overarching mission. Many of today’s most prominent climate companies weathered their own storms and came out stronger with better messaging that resonates with diverse audiences and more tangible impact of their claims.
However, the importance of a communications team having your back can’t be understated. Negative press could happen at any point so it’s important to have a plan and pinpoint potential vulnerabilities alongside the right experts, rather than ever having to be blindsided.
In an era where climate solutions face intense scrutiny, preparation isn’t just a nice-to-have but an essential pillar of long-term success.
Finally… here are some of the stories we’ve been telling:
💨 Carbon removal under Trump 2.0
Carbon180's Executive Director Erin Burns joins the Reversing Climate Change podcast to discuss how federal carbon dioxide removal (CDR) investment is evolving and why appropriations deserve more attention – offering insights on scaling climate solutions amid a divided Congress.
☢️ Nuclear power meets artificial intelligence
Partnering with Pacific Gas & Electric and NVIDIA, Atomic Canyon is making history at California's Diablo Canyon with the first-ever on-site AI at a US nuclear plant. CalMatters reports on how Atomic Canyon’s Neutron Enterprise tool helps workers navigate extensive technical reports and what guardrails are needed as these technologies continue to converge.
🚧 Empowering the construction industry to embrace AI
Construction Dive spotlights Augmenta's $10M funding from Prelude Ventures. The AI platform automates electrical design processes – eliminating errors, reducing rework, and optimizing for cost and sustainability – all to help the industry start to embrace AI.
... and some (Water) Cooler talk:
☀️ Clean energy grows to address electricity demands
Ember's 2025 "Global Electricity Review" delivers promising news: clean power now exceeds 40% of global electricity generation. The report also highlights solar’s record-breaking growth, doubling capacity in the last three years, and how all of this proves that renewable energy can successfully meet accelerating global electricity demand.
Yes! Companies have to earn trust before the spotlight hits, or they risk losing the narrative before it even starts.