A crisis is any
situation that threatens
the integrity or
reputation of a company.
These situations can be
as a result of a variety
of legal disputes,
occupational accidents,
fire, flood or other
disaster that could
affect the company. Poor
handling of the
communication during a
crisis usually result in
even more negative
consequences that could
haunt the company long
after the physical
situation has been
rectified.
It can also result in a
situation where, in the
eyes of the media or
general public the
company did not react to
a foreseeable situation
in the appropriate
manner. If the
communications about the
crisis is handled
correctly the public
relations damage can be
minimized significantly.
The quick release of
correct information
concerning an accident,
incident, or emergency
is defiantly in the best
interest of the company.
Accidents, Incidents and
emergencies can occur at
any time and without
warning and therefore
planning before the
crisis hit is a crucial
part of minimizing the
impact.
Planning
Careful planning with
the focus on safety will
assist any company in
responding appropriately
to crises and
emergencies. Part of the
crisis planning should
include a requirement
that each department in
the company should have
a plan for dealing with
identified potential
emergencies. This plan
should include ways to
deal with the media and
communications issues.
The crisis media
communications plan
should form an integral
part of the emergency
response and business
continuity plan but
should at least be in
the form of an
attachment to the
emergency operations
plan if it does not form
a part of the plan
itself.
The aim of having a
media relations and
communications component
as part of crisis
management plan is to
provide the crisis media
team with the framework
to supply accurate
information in a timely
manner.
Without prearranged
communication protocols
in place, potentially
damaging ways to deal
with information during
a crisis can result.
This often negatively
affects the long-term
image, reputation and
credibility of the
company. This negative
impact often reflects in
a long term reduction in
the share price of a
company.
The crisis media
communications plan
should establish clear
communications protocols
to ensure that officials
and staff responsible
for communications
during a crisis are
familiar with the
procedure and the
specific roles allocated
to various staff
members. The plan should
detail the precise
procedures to be
followed during all the
different types of
foreseeable emergencies
at all the different
geographical branch
offices and sites of the
company.
Release of
Information
Before releasing
information there are
many issues to consider.
This could include the
time, place and manner
in which information is
released.
The release of any
information related to
the crisis should be
coordinated by a single
person appointed to be
responsible for the
crisis media
communications of the
company. The official
responsible for
interacting with the
media should consult
with the chief operating
officer prior to
releasing information
related to the crisis.
As a golden rule an
accurate statement
containing relevant but
verified facts about the
crisis should be issued
to media as soon as
possible after the onset
of the crisis. To stall
this process under the
vial of not having
sufficient information
will only result in
mistrust and speculation
by the media. All crisis
media communications to
the media and other
parties should be in the
form of a written
statement. The statement
should be brief and
issued by the
appropriate official,
which is typically the
director responsible for
crisis media
communications.
All information
contained in the crisis
media communications
statement should be
verified prior to
release by the
designated response
crisis media team member
as accurate. Should
there be any questions
the issues should be
referred to the official
responsible for
interacting with the
media. A single person
releasing information to
the media will ensure
consistency and accuracy
in reporting the facts
accurately and will
result in the media
having more trust in the
transparency of the
company about the
crisis.
The release of
information to the media
should not be a random
event. It should be well
coordinated with
specific objectives. The
aim of releasing
information to the media
should include at least
some of the following:
Release of crisis
information should be
well-timed and accurate
in content.
Communication should
only be verified facts
rather than speculative
information.
The flow of information
should be carefully
controlled to ensure
that the information
follows a proper
timeline.
The release of
information about the
crisis should be done in
such a manner that it
will promote and protect
the welfare of involved
personnel and their
families.
When considering the
content of the
information contained in
the communication care
should be taken to
ensure that it retains
the confidence of
employees, the public
and media
representatives in the
ability of the company
to appropriately deal
with the situation.
The company can often
use the crisis media
communications system to
educate the public on
broader issues raised by
the crisis. This can
include how similar
incidents will be
prevented from occurring
in the future; what
programs have been
instituted and what are
currently being done.
When compiling a crisis
media communications
statement for release to
the media the following
should be considered.
Any information that is
tentative should not be
released. One of the
primary items to steer
clear from is to ensure
that no speculation on
the cause for the crisis
is included in the
statement at any time.
It will also be
inappropriate to
apportion blame on any
individual, agency or
piece of equipment
before the official
investigation is
completed. The
communications crisis
media team should take
into account that
estimates concerning the
extent of damage in
monetary terms cannot be
made accurately during
the first few hours of
an emergency and are
best released later when
verified. It is also
important to note that
estimates regarding the
duration of the crisis
and the time it will
take to normalize the
situation should be
omitted form any crisis
media communication. It
will be wise to remember
not to comment on any
legal or administrative
processes in which
findings have not
formally been issued.
Post-Emergency
Communication
An important part of a
successful crisis media
communications plan is
to include a formal post
emergency communication
part in the plan this
should include a section
on the assessment on the
handling of the initial
response to the crisis.
It is also wise to
include a needs
assessment for
post-traumatic
counseling for employees
or other affected
persons who may need to
be assisted as a result
of the crisis. The
purpose of a post
emergency communications
plan is primarily to
provide updates to
interested and affected
parties.
After the crisis has
been brought under
control a crisis media
team should be appointed
to evaluate policies and
procedures associated
with the crisis plan.
The evaluation should
include the evaluation
of the manner in which
the crisis was handled;
this includes the
evaluation of the crisis
media communications.
Based on the review any
identified improvements
in procedures should be
made and tested.
One of the items that
are often overlooked at
the conclusion of the
resolution of the crisis
is to thank all staff
and members of emergency
services and the public
who helped during the
crisis.
In conclusion it is
important to remember
that it is crucial in a
crisis is communicate
fast, accurate and
truthfully. If a company
approaches crisis media
communications in this
manner all has been done
to minimize negative
public relation
consequences.
Source: Dr Carl Marx
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