Communicating in a Crisis - 3/19/18

By Sam Baycer

Communicating in a Crisis – 3/19/18

·       Communication in a crisis requires situational analysis

·       “no comment” is still one of the worst responses to a journalist asking a question

·       Even though you are often on a shorter timeframe than normal PR, AP style is just as important

·       Changing topics, obituaries are supposed to celebrate someone’s life

·       Obits should be thought as a feature story, not a death story

From OWC’s Crisis Communications Checklist

·       Be the first to break your bad news

·       Confirm facts, communicate openly, and accurately articulate the situation

·       Identify key audiences and develop a strategy for each

·       Develop concise, factual messages that can be understood quickly by everyone

·       Craft detailed Q&As, customer letters, vendor letters, etc. that provide the facts needed and reassurance

·       Don’t neglect your own employees

·       If there is a solution to the problem, work toward solving it quickly and as openly as possible

·       Use all tools at your disposal

·       Monitor online and offline conversations to evaluate the strategy of your message

·       Continue to communicate with key audiences even after the crisis is over

·       Learn from the experience and anticipate the next crisis

·       Don’t threaten to throw a reporter off a balcony

Case Studies

1.    Student journalist gets a state congressman to walk out

·       A state congressman wasn’t fully prepared for the tough questions of a student-journalist

·       When the congressman was asked about cutting funding for a program he himself called important, the congressman left the room and never returned

·       This highlights the importance of preparing for an interview and not underestimating any audience that might ask questions

2.    Congressman threatens journalist at State of the Union

·       During the State of the Union, a journalist asked a Congressman about campaign finance allegations against him

·       When the reporter was asked about them, he walked away, came back and threatened the journalist

·       This shows that you should always be aware of what you say and to who

Homework

1.    Bring in an obituary that speaks to you; be prepared to discuss it for class

2.    Read three articles by Carole Douglis, who will be the guest speaker for next class

·       A good starting point for your research will be at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/happy-anniversary-coolest-law-youve-probably-never-douglis-m-a-l-d-/