Had a panic attack on a work phone call

[Beingmumistressful]

I received a work phone call this afternoon, i’m the on-call press officer this weekend. It was a broadcast journalist who was calling with a few questions and then said he was putting me live air to answer his questions live on air as a company spokesperson via phone. I then had a complete panic attack while the phone line was live on air. He had rang me through the out of hours weekend press line, with an enquiry that I was not aware of and had no time to look into and then after answering one of his questions he said he was putting me live on air then just went and did it, absolutely no time to look into his enquiry or anything. I’ve never experienced anything like it in 19 years in PR. The panic attack was while the phone line was live on air. I informed my boss straight away after, he’s since listened to the ‘interview’ (if you can even call it an interview as the journalist just thrust me straight on air with no warning or time to look into his enquiry) and has called it a “car crash of an interview” (for a few reasons but also because I had a panic attack). I’m pretty sure the approach that the journalist took is a breach of OFCOM rules but I will check that with our legal team tomorrow. My manager is talking about potentially suspending me for bringing the company into disrepute (by having a panic attack!)! Aibu to think they can’t suspend me for this (having the panic attack)? I’ve never experienced anything like it in all my years in PR and communications.

We’ve also reported the journalist to his editor as well.

How long have you worked there for?

My goodness, that sounds awful for you. Bad press experiences are excruciating. Keep telling your side of the story and don't back down, your boss should be supporting you on this.

Totally out of order by the journalist but it does sound like you didn’t handle it particularly well. Having worked in PR for 19 years I won’t say you’re inexperienced but the reaction certainly seems so.

I have been put into a somewhat similar situation in the past as a PR assistant and even then my reaction was to ask the journalist to email questions through as the situation was still developing and hang up once I was thrust on air.

It's not ok to put you on air without your consent. Absolutely not.

6 years. Former head of PR at another company but stepped down and became a senior PR manager after Mat leave.

I’m saying that, your manager should be on your side and be working on developing a better spin on the story or burying it. They should not be throwing you under the bus here.

If there has been nothing similar in the past you should be okay. I suppose they'd argue that they suspended you due to concerns about your mental health and ability to do reliable work? Just so that they can check the situation?

What was it you were actually discussing? Was it something that you needed to research and prepare for, or was it something that with all your years of experience in the field it would be reasonable to expect that you could have done standing on your head?

What form did the attack take? Was it obvious you had become unwell, inability to speak, breathing difficulties for example, or did you say incorrect or inappropriate things?

It’s a shame you didn’t put the phone down. Personally I’d go to the gP and explain what happened so it’s logged and you can consider medication if this is one of many panic attacks

That was what I did, just kept asking him to email his questions through but ended up having a panic attack once thrust on air.

I did put the phone down when I ended up having a panic attack about 2-5 seconds after being thrust on air.

OP they can't suspend you for having a panic attack. This sounds awful and the journalist sounds deeply unprofessional for doing this to you.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I'm sure you know what you would have done or said now looking back. All you can do is tell your side of the story and I would hope a decent employer would have your back. We all make mistakes, it is how we move on that makes the difference.

Go in tomorrow and put your version of the story across, say you know it wasn't handled in the best way and what you will do moving forwards if it happened again and hope that is the end of it.

I didn’t say anything incorrect or inappropriate

It was regarding an alleged Incident, I would have needed to look into it before responding. I kept asking him to send his questions through as well as details of the allegations but he just thrust me live on air.

Then they have no cause to suggest you have damaged the company. You became ill whilst at work and if you are disciplined for that may have a case for discrimination. If you're not in a union contact ACAS for advice.

How can it have been a car crash interview in 2 to 5 seconds?

That was just what my boss described it is. I don’t agree that it was even an interview in the circumstances. My boss claims me having a panic attack has made both the company and me look incompetent and therefore has brought the company into disrepute.

It is absolutely not OK to put you live on air without your agreement. It's not an open, honest or straightforward approach to journalism. It was a stunt. If it was the truth he was after, he could have given you the questions and you could get the information he needed.

PRs and journalists have an odd relationship - both reliant on each other but not huge levels of trust. His behaviour was exceptionally unprofessional and you deserve an apology.

Please be kind to yourself OP and for what it's worth if you were only on air for 5 seconds you can't have done much damage! Panic attacks are horrific. This too shall pass xx

I don't see how 5 seconds can be considered a car crash. What did you do in that 5 seconds?

If your boss had a shred of competence he could have easily saved the company 'reputation' by contacting the journalist apologising that you were taken ill and offering to do an interview himself.

5 seconds was an estimate, I’m not 100% sure of exactly how long it was. I explained that he should email over his questions and his allegations so we can look into them and respond and then had a panic attack and hung up the phone.

Your boss is an arsehole