When news spread that a priest was planning to turn part of his parish into a restaurant, the outrage was predictably immediate and scathing. 

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The final nail in Malta’s coffin of greed. The first step to the commercialisation of all churches. The very thing that allegedly threw Jesus into a fit of rage one day in Nazareth.

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So I was glad to see Dun Marc Andre Camilleri give an interview to The Times’s Mark Laurence Zammit where he set the record straight. 

I’m also glad the interview involved a tour around the Church, which some claim to be the biggest church in Malta and one of the biggest in Europe.

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It also turns out that this restaurant is not, as the original story implied, some unhinged capitalist proposal to concession off parts of the church to big business. 

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In fact, it seems to be a small cafe that is part of a well-thought out proposal to attract more visitors and raise the money required to embellish and upkeep an enormous church which has fallen into disrepair.

The priest’s plan involves the setting up of a museum and visitors’ centre, which would attract tourists to a part of Malta that does not tend to feature in tourist itineraries. This strategy falls squarely in line with the tourism authority’s drive to increase religious travellers to the island.

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The priest also explained in very clear language how this massive church does not get funds from the Curia and is currently financially dependent on the generosity of its parishioners, who are dwindling in number.

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When people heard the priest’s version, the comments sections began tilting in his favour. People suddenly began sharing words of encouragement for the priest, and slamming haters for being so quick to pass judgment. 

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As a PR consultant, I think the priest taught us all an important lesson: When faced with a crisis or an unfair negative story, get out there and provide the context required to ensure a fair discussion. You must give your side of the story and arm your supporters with the arguments they need to defend you.

Outrage and criticism are often the result of incomplete information. Yet instead of engaging with the press and giving the full facts, many businesses, organisations and individuals still feel afraid to say anything – worrying that any reaction would trigger more negative press, when often the opposite is true. 

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Of course there’s always a risk that giving your side of the story doesn’t quite cut it and criticism persists. But when the truth is on your side, the risks of staying silent are even greater.

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In fact, the priest’s only fault was that he didn’t react quickly enough to avoid Prime Minister Robert Abela from issuing a heavy-handed dismissal of the project before hearing the full story.

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While it’s sad to see our Prime Minister fall victim to headline outrage, it’s a reminder of how quickly even the most senior people can rush to judgment in a world of fast news and short attention spans.

This is why the best thing to do with projects like these is to make time to consult key stakeholders. Soliciting and taking on their honest feedback privately – before filing a planning application which automatically makes your plans public – goes a long way to avoiding knee-jerk reactions that could derail your project.

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In an ideal world, you should be the first to tell the public about your plans. But if that’s not the case and you find yourself in a media pickle, take the priest’s example and get your explanation out there, fast.

Christian Peregin is a communications consultant with over 20 years experience in journalism, PR and campaigning. He founded Lovin Malta, worked as the campaign manager for the Nationalist Party, and has worked with over 80 companies to improve their communications strategies.