Transcript Communicating in Crisis

Communicating in Crisis
Photo by Alfredas Pliadis, Lithuanian MoND
VIKTORIJA CIEMINYTĖ
PUBLIC INFORMATION ADVISER
PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, LITHUANIAN MOD
MARCH, TBILISI
1. What is a crisis?
Allied Command Operations Public Affairs Handbook, 2008:
Any event that undermines public confidence, causes damage to an organisation, and
threatens public safety, security, or values.
Sam Black:
“Known-unknown Crises” – organizations are conscious of the possibility of these
crises, but may not know when they could happen.
“Unknown-unknown Crises” – not predictable or foreseen and when they happen they
take everyone unaware.
Scott Cutlip:
Unexpected crises – don’t leave time for analysis and planning.
Emergent crises – leave time for analysis, planning and prevention.
Persistent crises, eg. rumors.
Emergent
Unexpected
2. Situations of “known-unknown” crises
• Service related injury or death of a staff member , other severe
incidents.
• Health-related issues.
• Severe violation of discipline, misbehavior that may inflict criminal
charges.
• Failure to meet organizational responsibilities.
• Allegations of financial irregularities.
• Involvement in a political controversy, etc.
3. Why is Crisis Communication important?
 No one is secured against crises.
 Crises tend to take on the “domino effect”.
 Negative news spread faster and have greater impact.
 The state of an organization after a crisis is a function of
how it handled the crisis!
4. Aims of Crisis Communication
 The best cure is prevention = to reduce known risks that
could lead to a crisis.
 When events can not be prevented, the main aim of a crisis
communication is to contain a damage.
In any crisis situations the aim can not be to
emerge “unscathed”, but to appear trustworthy
and honestly committed to solve a problem.
5. GETTING PREPARED FOR CRISES
“The key to affective crisis communication is to be
prepared before a crisis occurs” .
6. Recognize early warning signals
• Be informed. Monitor issues in the media that could
lead to your issues.
• Monitor situation. Anticipate what may go wrong.
Gather information and data on troublesome issues and
trends.
Don’t pin your hope that the problem can be
solved by ignoring, denying or concealing it! Be
aware of Murphy’s law!
7. Establish communication
• At the formative stage be sure that command authorities, other concerned
key staff members (public affairs people, experts, lawyers, etc.) are aware of
potential problem.
• Assure that there is a regular communication for the exchange of
information and coordination between key staff members. Assure that the
after-hours phone numbers of the key staff persons are known.
• Determine possible spokespersons. Assure that the spokesperson (if not
itself a member of a management) have access to the top-level management
for information and coordination!
Successful Crisis Management very much depends on the
availability of in advance prepared Crisis Plan/ Standard
Operation Procedures which determine likely Crisis Team, its
members’ tasks and responsibilities, procedures of exchange of
information and coordination.
8. Prepare in advance communication guidelines
 Prepare main crisis-management messages.
 Prepare list of possible Q&A, background information,
relevant facts.
 Prepare a list of contacts of main media outlets.
9. Maintain all the time good media relations.
Train public affairs skills
• If you have trustworthy and credible media
relations established before a crisis it is more likely
that media trust you, follow your version of a story
or will be more cooperative once a crisis starts.
• Basic press release writing, interview skill are vital
in crisis. Use an opportunity to train these skills in
advance.
10. CRISIS PREVENTION & MANAGEMENT
GUIDELINES
•
Communication alone can hardly prevent or
solve a crisis.
•
Crisis situations require actions followed by
proper communication.
•
From the other side, every decision to solve a
crisis should be evaluated from the public affairs
perspective.
11. Pro-active approach
Often crises are caused/reinforced by insufficient
communication:
 when information about the negative event or sensitive issue was
withheld from the public;
 when the public lack information or understanding of the issue;
 when the public was not aware or prepared to the potential dangers.
Prevention/solution of such crises requires pro-active
communication, honesty admitting potential problems and
communicating commitment to solutions.
12. Coming first with bad news
Both for crisis prevention or in order to control crisis damage it is
important to be first with bad news to the public.
• While providing negative information about yourself, you will be able
to maintain media’s trust in you.
• More likely that the media will follow your version (as the first
version). You will preempt speculations and will be able to control the
spread of negative or incorrect information.
• You will get all media attention, i.e. an opportunity to communicate
your message.
13. Coming first with bad news
If you don’t inform first:
 Information may leak (sooner or later it will). You may be
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be accused of concealing information.
If you come up with negative information yourself it may be
news for a day. If the information leak it will be different
story which may take media attention for 10 days.
Journalists will refer to somebody else for information and,
your side will be missing in the story.
You will need to defend yourself – it is always less effective
than being pro-active.
You will open a way for speculations.
14. Coming first with bad news
 In cases of serous incidents (like serious injury, death),
commanders should be called for a press conference.
 After the initial press conference, press briefings by PAOs
could be held for the subsequent update of information.
 To inform on minor incidents or troublesome issues or
when there is a need to prevent the spread of incorrect
information, a press release is appropriate.
15. Honesty
 Maintain honesty and accept mistakes because the public is
more willing to forgive an honest mistake than a calculated
lie.
 Be forthcoming and do what it takes to facilitate stories.
The media are going to write and air stories with or without
your help. It’s in your best interest to participate in a story
– even a negative one – in order to have your position
correctly represented.
 Don’t say “NO COMMENT” – ever!
16. Responsiveness
 In case of serious crises, which inflict causalities, large scale
damage to public health, property, etc. get immediately the
top management to the site!
 Presence of top officials communicates on behalf of an
organisation its responsiveness, commitment,
determination to crisis management.
 Busy schedule, planned visits, holiday can not justify the
absence. Absence of management at a critical moment will
make your communication about the efforts to control the
damage void.
17. Communicating your message
 When informing about the crisis use an
opportunity to communicate your message and to
say about your values and mission.
 Use an opportunity to inform about means which
have already been employed or due to be employed
to solve a crisis, eg. to restore the damage or to
investigate situation, etc.
 But first make sure you are dong what you say you
are doing.
18. Promptness
General rule of “maximum disclosure within minimum delay” is valid in
crises.
But:
 Is serious crises it is more important to promptly confirm the occurrence than
to present all details at once. Details could be provided later.
 Don’t try to fill the information gap by your assumptions, suggestions.
 Don’t wait until you know a solution. Just confirm the problem and say that
you are looking for the ways how to fix it.
Keep balance between promptness, accuracy and
comprehensiveness.
19. Accuracy
• Provide media and the public with only with which you are 100 per
cent sure. Be precise. Avoid ambiguities.
• A mistake or published incorrect information can:
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destroy media’s trust in you as a reliable source of information.
facilitate rumors.
create impression of pure control over the situation or of an attempt of
concealing the truth.
• If you noticed a mistake, inform media about it immediately, correct
the information on your web page.
• Avoid interim evaluations about the causes of a crisis, avoid fixing
blame. This can be done only after an investigation.
20. Availability
 During a crisis it is essential to be available for media. If
you are not, reporters will look for information elsewhere.
 When issuing an initial press release, identify the POC for
media queries.
 Establish a 24h available telephone line for media and
public queries or establish duty officer system. Always
return phone calls.
21. Coordination
Coordinated communication which enables “speaking in
one voice” is essential in crisis:
 It will help to prevent cross-purposes among those who
may work on same issue.
 Combining efforts will make your message sound stronger.
 It will help to control over the accuracy and to prevent
blunder.
22. Regular updating information
 Update information regularly. Avoid “information
vacuum”.
 Regular updates create an impression that the situation is
“under control” and help to maintain media attention to
your source of information.
 When there no newsworthy facts to be released to media,
information may be updated by new imagery.
23. Supporting media work
• Arrange for media access to the scene of the crisis, if
possible.
• If there is space constraints, use press pools.
• If needed a press centre/press room may be established at
site of an event. Take care of practical needs of media, such
as transportation internet connection, etc.
24. Informing internal audience
 Inform your internal audiences – the staff and other offices
– at the same time you inform the press! If the press is the
only source of information for the staff, their morale can be
damaged.
 Without the support and confidence of your own people,
you will fail to gain the trust of the external audiences as
well.
 Staff can be the source of information as well. Be sure they
have it right.
25. Informing about an injury or a death
 Inform relatives first! Make sure that the relatives of a
dead/injured person at first receive this information from
the representatives of an organization, not from other
sources.
 While informing about losses do it in personal manner.
26. Post-crisis assessment
 Formulate lessons learned.
 Use the assessment to update or to create your Crisis
Plan/Standard Operation Procedures.
 Once the research results have been obtained, announce
any changes in policy or new procedures that are in
response to concerns.
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