Transcript communication in times of crisis

COMMUNICATION IN
TIMES OF CRISIS
Communication cycle
in times of crisis
Pre-crisis
• Be prepared
• Make alliances
• Seek consensus for
applying the
recommendations
• Try out your
messages
Start
• Recognize the event
with empathy
• Explain the risk in
simple terms
• Establish the
credibility of the
speaker
• Provide guidelines
for implementation
of the actions
• Obtain the decisionmakers’
commitment to
continue with the
communication
Source: CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency + Risk Communication
Maintenance
• Help the public to
understand their own
risk
• Provide background
information to those
who need it
• Seek support for
response and recovery
plans
• Listen to the decisionmakers and the
audience for feedback
and rectification
• Explain the emergency
recommendations
• Improve risk-benefit
decision-making
Resolution
• Improve public
responses through
education
• Examine the
problems and
reinforce what
worked well
• Persuade the public
to support the public
policy and the
availability of
resources
• Promote activities
and capabilities
Assessment
• Assess the
communication plan
• Document the
lessons learned
• Determine specific
actions that improve
the system or the
crisis plan
Role of risk communication in crisis
and emergency situations
• Communication during a crisis cannot be handled by mobilizing
more people and materials. The communication itself will have to
change.
• Risk communication in emergency and crisis situationshould take
into account certain harmful conducts that appear during these
events.
Source: CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency + Risk Communication
Response of the health sector
The response of the public health sector during a crisis
should aim to reduce and prevent diseases, lesions, and
deaths, and should try to get individuals and communities to
return to their normal lives in the shortest possible time.
Human conduct during an emergency:
What can communication do?
• Most individuals are able to act reasonably during an
emergency.
• They may also exaggerate communicative responses, as
well as adopting rudimentary, instinctive reasoning.
• If this is the first emergency of its
type (man-made or natural), the
communication challenges will be
greater.
Source: CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency + Risk Communication
Stress and psychological manifestations
during a crisis
Vicarious rehearsal
Victimization
Negation
Refusal to take good
advice
Stigmatization
Separation from the
group
Denial and fear
Irrational conduct
Withdrawal,
hopelessness,
abandonment
Paralysis
Source: CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency + Risk Communication
Emotional-physical
Cognitive-interpersonal
How to communicate effectively in a crisis
• It is important to remember that your goal is not to over-assure the
public. People need to be vigilant, although at the beginning they
may be hyper-vigilant.
• It is recommended to give the good news in subordinate clauses,
with the more alarming news in the first clause. For example: “It
is too early to say that we are safe, although we have had no more
eruptive processes for x days now.”
Source: CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency + Risk Communication
How to communicate effectively
in a crisis (Continued)
• What leads to panic is not the bad news, but anything doubtful in the
message received. Individuals feel panic when they cannot rely on
what they are being told or when they feel abandoned in dangerous
territory.
• When people are frightened, the worst thing is to pretend that they
are not, and the next worst thing is to tell them not to be afraid.
• Even if the fear is completely unjustified, it
is wrong to ignore it, criticize it, or make fun
of it.
Source: CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency + Risk Communication
Admit uncertainty
Admitting uncertainty is effective when the
communicator expresses it honestly to the audience,
using words like: “I really wish I could give a definitive
answer to that.”
Principles of
risk communication and its
importance in the crisis phase
Crisis phase
When they are the most effective
Principles of risk communication
in a crisis
Do not try to calm the fear
Emphasize that there is a process being carried out
Do not over-assure
Admit uncertainty
Recognize the people’s dread
Express wishes
Give instructions to people
Recognize the problem as something that is shared
Give guidance in advance
Re-direct awkward questions such as “What would
happen if . . .?”
Be a model, ask people more questions
Apologize whenever necessary
Source: CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency + Risk Communication
Precrisis
Initial
Maintenance
Resolution
Relationship of the audience with the event
CRISIS
Action
Messages
Safety
Source: CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency + Risk Communication
Immediate action not required
Interest in safety
and real situations
Vicarious rehearsal
Interest in safety
and over-assurance
Elements of successful communication
Accuracy of
the information
Speed of
delivery
Credibility
+
Empathy
+
Openness
Trust
Successful
= communication
Preparing the main points
in a presentation
Type of
presentation
Purpose of the presentation
Recommended method of organization
Persuasive
Get the audience to accept
ideas
Get the audience to act
Inductive pattern: teach specific examples or lines
of reasoning that lead to general conclusions.
Problem-solution pattern : describe the problem
in order to create a need and then offer a solution.
Criterion-application pattern : describe the
criterion that is the most appropriate to the possible
case. Then compare options and select the best
solutions.
Informative
Inform or teach the audience
Deductive pattern: present the conclusion first and
then explain the details.
Chronological pattern: Indicate how the events
succeeded each other during a given period.
Increasing difficulty pattern: start with something
that the audience knows, then add more complex
concepts.
Progress report
Inform or update knowledge
Chronological pattern
Deductive pattern
Importance pattern: start with the most important
findings and then go up or down in order of
importance.
Source: CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency + Risk Communication
Development of the message
Audience:
 Relationship with the
event
 Demography (age,
language, education,
culture)
 Outrage levels (based
on the risk principles)
Purpose of the
message:
 Inform and update
about the facts
 Be ready for action
 Clarify the state of the
event
 Point out rumors
 Meet the requirements
of the media
Method of delivery:
 Print press releases
 Post information in
Internet
 Through spokespersons
(television or public
appearances)
 Radio
 Others (prerecorded
messages, telephone
messages)
Crisis phase and communication plan
• There is no second chance to correct
what is done in the initial phase of the
crisis.
• The communication plan is an
information resource; it is the place
where information should be found.
• The key to a reply is to have all the information on the topic as
clearly set out as possible.
• Emergencies can occur outside working hours; learn to use the
back doors of the scenario to arrive at the same time as the news
editors.
Source: CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency + Risk Communication
Nine steps in crisis response
Organize activities
Obtain information and
acceptance
Do the assessment
(activate the crisis plan)
3
Conduct the
notification
4
Give information to the
media and the public
5
2
6
Verify the
situation
1
The crisis
occurs
7
Obtain feedback and
conduct crisis
assessment
8
9
Conduct
education of the
public
Monitor events
Source: CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency + Risk Communication
The communicator should be the first to
speak, say the right thing, and have credibility
• The planning of crisis communication
should be designed to manage the first
48 hours of the emergency. During that
time the communication will be
scrutinized by the media and the
public.
• The communicator not only reads the
statement: he is the statement.
• Every organization has its own identity,
and the communicator should personify
that identity.
Source: CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency + Risk Communication
The spokesperson: What should
he or she know?
Inspire confidence and trust
• Be emphatic and show interest
• Show competence and experience
• Be honest and open
• Show commitment and dedication
Recommendations
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Do not over-assure
Admit uncertainty
Express wishes (I wish I had an answer)
Explain the process
Recognize the people’s fear
Give instructions to the people
Look for more people (share the risk)
As a spokesperson
•
•
•
•
Be familiar with the policies of your organization
Keep inside the framework of your responsibilities
Tell the truth, be transparent
Personify your agency’s identity
Consistent messages are vital
Source: CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency + Risk Communication
Be prepared to answer these questions
• Are my family and I safe?
• What can I do to protect myself and my
family?
• Who is in charge?
• What can we expect?
• Why did this happen?
• Did they know this would happen?
• Why wasn’t it prevented?
• What else might happen?
• How long have you been working in this?
• What does this information mean?
Stick to the objective of your message
• “It is important to remember...”
• “I can’t answer that question, but what I can
tell you is that ...”
• “Before I forget, I want to tell you...”
• “Let me put this in perspective...”
Be the first to
inform, say the
right thing, and
be credible
Work with the mass media
“To declare war on the media,
though tempting, is a game
you will never win”
Stratford P. Sherman
Source: CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency + Risk Communication