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When Bad News Happens: tips for crisis communications

When Bad News Happens: tips for crisis communications. Dr. Joe Brennan, APR Associate Vice President for University Communications University at Buffalo June 2009. What is a “Crisis”?. Any non-routine event that… Causes serious harm to people or property

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When Bad News Happens: tips for crisis communications

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  1. When Bad News Happens: tips for crisis communications Dr. Joe Brennan, APR Associate Vice President for University Communications University at Buffalo June 2009

  2. What is a “Crisis”? • Any non-routine event that… • Causes serious harm to people or property • Significantly disrupts operations • Threatens viability • Or poses a serious risk of the above

  3. Crisis Management is a Process

  4. Stage 1: Prepare • Build good relationships. • Get ready to respond. • Pay attention to warning signals.

  5. Prepare: building good relationships • Six dimensions of org-public relationships • Control mutuality • Trust* • Satisfaction** • Commitment** • Exchange relationship • Communal relationship Source: L. Grunig, J. Grunig, & D. Dozier, Excellence in public relations and communication management., 1992.

  6. Prepare: building good relationships • One-way models flow of info • Press agentry/publicity • Public information • Two-way models • Asymmetrical • Symmetrical Source: J. Grunig & T. Hunt, Managing Public Relations, 1984.

  7. Prepare: getting ready • Write a crisis plan • Identifies risks and responses. • Establishes crisis team and sets roles. • Spells out values and principles that will guide response and communications. • Outlines general approaches and techniques. • Provides authority to act and to communicate.

  8. Prepare: getting ready • Train your people • NIMS/ICS courses (online) www.training.fema.gov • Crisis drills (tabletop, field) • Risk communications • Media interviews

  9. Prepare: watching for warning signals • Horizon scanning • Internal factors • External forces • What to watch • Rumor mill • Traditional media • Social media • Personal networks • Enforcers (police, internal auditors)

  10. Stage 2: Respond • Operational response • NIMS/ICS • Communications response • Identify affected publics. • Develop core messages. • Select spokesperson. • Communicate – and keep communicating.

  11. The ICS Structure • The public information officer is a member of the command staff, responsible for developing and communicating all external messages.

  12. Respond: identify affected audiences • Victims – and others directly affected. • Employees, customers and suppliers. • Other stakeholders – indirectly affected. • The news media.

  13. Respond: develop core messages • First, ask four key questions: • What happened? • How are we fixing it? • Why did it happen? • How is it affecting our ability to provide services?

  14. Respond: develop core messages • Then add three statements • We are sorry about the effect it’s having. • We are working closely with the authorities – and with those who are directly affected. • We’re committed to seeing that this never happens again.

  15. Respond: selecting spokesperson • Pop Quiz! • The best spokesperson is (choose one): • Highly competent technical expert. • Strongly dedicated, committed senior official. • Professional communicator, honest and open. • Empathetic and caring individual.

  16. Respond: selecting the spokesperson Four factors determine perception of spokesperson’s trustworthiness: 50% 20% 15% 15% Source: Columbia University Center for Risk Communication

  17. Respond: choosing the channels • Direct methods (“push”) • Text messaging • Email • Public address systems • Signs and posters • Face-to-face visits • Phone calls • Controlled methods (“pull”) • Web sites • Bulletin boards • Social media you manage • Uncontrolled methods (“pray”) • Rumor mill • News media • Social media you don’t manage

  18. Respond: surviving the first 48 hours • The first two days set the tone for all the rest. • Day 1: what happened • Notifying key audiences. • Establishing the facts. • Supporting victims and other affected audiences • Day 2: why it happened • Reinforcing facts, correcting misperceptions. • Giving an expanded view of organization’s response. • Reinforcing relationships with audiences and allies.

  19. Respond: 5 Commandments • Communicate quickly and directly with those who are most affected. • Be the first one to tell your story. • All the bad news must come out at once. • Speak with one clear voice. • Keep on communicating.

  20. Respond: working with reporters

  21. Respond: the story triangle Vindicator Victim Villain

  22. Secret # 1 • News reporters don’t write “articles” – they write “stories.” • Secret # 2 • News is what reporters and editors say it is. • Secret # 3 • It’s much better to talk to reporters than to avoid them. • Secret # 4 • Interviews are not normal conversations. • Secret # 5: You can’t whitewash a pile of manure. • Secret # 6: The news media are less powerful now.

  23. Responding: case study University of Houston Faculty Drinking on Students’ Dime? May 6, 2009 I:\documents\My Videos\RealPlayer Downloads\UH faculty drinking on students' dime Video abc13.com.flv Source: http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/video?id=6800228

  24. Responding: Univ. of Houston Students President Reporter

  25. Responding: Univ. of Houston • University tells employees it is enforcing travel rules – • in response to Ch. 13’s investigation. • President Khator responds to reporter’s questions - • by email

  26. Responding: Univ. of Houston University of Houston Makes Changes After Investigation May 12, 2009 ..\My Videos\RealPlayer Downloads\University of Houston makes changes after 13 Undercover investigation - 5 11 09 - Houston News - abc13.com.flv Source: http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/13_undercover&id=6808062

  27. Responding: citizen journalists

  28. Hostile Blogs • When to respond? • When to ignore?

  29. Responding: Social media • “Speaking is silver, listening is gold.” • - Turkish proverb Social media let you LISTEN and BUILD RELATIONSHIPS • Blogs • Wikis • Twitter • Social networking sites

  30. Stage 3: Recovery • Rebuilding trust • Learning from the experience

  31. Recovery: rebuilding trust • Seven steps are necessary. • Candor • Explanation • Declaration • Contrition • Consultation • Commitment • Resolution Source: Jim Lukaszewski, Public Relations Quarterly, Fall 1997.

  32. Recovery: learning the lessons • Five variables to evaluate: • Effectiveness of spokespersons • Communication of key messages • Containment of negative messages • Impact on customers • Impact on employees Source: Katie Payne, PR News, Aug. 18, 2003

  33. Final thought: managing expectations • Realistic expectation for crisis communications: • Your college gets the benefit of the doubt. • You’re not cast in role of villain. • You’re seen as honest, caring, competent. • Unrealistic expectations: • Your college can avoid anger and scrutiny. • You will fully control the message. • You can unilaterally decide what, when and how to communicate.

  34. Crisis Management is a Process

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