Christina Saull is the corporate communications manager and the lead public information officer for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. In this role, she oversees external communications for Washington Dulles International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the Dulles Toll Road, and the Airports Authority’s independent police and fire departments, as well as internal communications for the Authority’s 1,700 employees. From keeping customers up-to-date on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, to responding to aircraft and public safety emergencies, the Airports Authority’s team of public information officers keeps the traveling public informed.
Prior to joining the Airports Authority in January 2018, Christina worked for a public relations firm specializing in government education campaigns, non-profits, and corporate social responsibility clients. She began her career on Capitol Hill and also worked in media advocacy for a major public health non-profit.
Working in public information, public affairs, or communications today is completely different than it was even five years ago. In a day in age when “citizen journalists” carry a computer and video camera in their pocket, news breaks on social media within seconds of it happening. While this information sharing means we now know more than ever, it also makes getting misinformation or rumors under control extremely difficult.
This session will cover case studies of what happens when tweets go viral for all the wrong reasons and traditional news media use social media to report on their stories, instead of checking first with the communications lead or another credible source.
Attendees from this session will come away with: