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Presented with Candace Ahlfinger at TASA/TASB 2010 Convention.
Citation preview
What do you dowhen a crisis calls?
CANDACE AHLFINGER, APR
Pasadena Independent School DistrictAssociate Superintendent for Communications/Community Relations
Texas School Public Relations AssociationPast President 2005-2006
BRAD DOMITROVICH
Georgetown Independent School DistrictDirector for School and Community Relations
Texas School Public Relations AssociationPast President 2008-2009
C-B
Objectives:★ Explore the tips and techniques that every
administrator needs to know in order to manage their communication strategies in a crisis situation.
★ An overview of procedures that can make anybody look like a PR pro.
★ Become versed in way to handle the media when there is a whirlwind of attention at your doorstep.
C
What is a crisis?(courtesy of the American Heritage Dictionary)
★ A crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point.
★ An unstable condition, as in political, social, or economic affairs, involving an impending abrupt or decisive change.
★ An emotionally stressful event or traumatic change in a person's life.
C
What is a crisis?(courtesy of those of us in school PR)
• Any event that causes you to stop what you're doing and react.
• Any situation that requires you to reach in your drawer and pull out your emergency operations plan.
• Any situation that involves reaching for aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen.
B
Examples of school PR crises?(things that we have had to deal with)
• Pandemic threat.• Presidential speech.• Emergency shelter in place.• Transportation emergencies.• Lock downs and intruders.• Employee brainlessness.• and more ...
C
Be prepared.B
Be prepared.★ Preparation is paramount.
★ Update your crisis plan regularly.
★ Review your crisis communications with key individuals/departments in your district.
★ Make sure everyone knows what to do before, during, and after.
★ Evaluate your plan after a crisis to better prepare you for upcoming situations.
B
Be prepared.★ Know all your contact numbers, cell phones, e-
mails, etc.★ Have call systems and e-mail distribution lists
set up for staff, parents, community, and media.★ Always have two positives you want to share
about your district in a crisis situation.★ Have your spokesperson trained. ★ Know the representatives from local fire,
police, and emergency ops departments. B
Be mobile.C
Be mobile.★ Things to be ready to go with:
✴ bottled water, wet wipes, mouth wash, hand sanitizer, “face in a bag”, comfortable shoes, change of shirt or jacket, etc.
★ Always keep in your car:✴ district map, emergency phone numbers,
media contact numbers, handbooks, etc.★ Technology on the go:
✴ extra chargers, laptop, wireless internet access, portable printer. C
Have one spokesperson.B
Have one spokesperson★ One individual should be designated as the
primary spokesperson to make official
statements and represent “the company”.★ A back-up individual should also be
identified in the event the primary person
is unavailable.★ Designate technical experts and advisors to
feed the spokesperson.B
Characteristicsof a spokesperson
★Comfortable in front of reporters, media.
★Capable to work well with other entities.
★Able to establish credibility and project a
sense of confidence and believability.
★Ability to redirect responses, identify key
points, and speak without using jargon.B
Be honest.C
Be honest.★Don’t be afraid to accept blame – but
always have a solution ready.★Respond promptly.★Correct problems so they do not
happen again.★Maintain a calm and helpful presence.★Never appear overwhelmed or
flustered.C
Apologize if appropriate.B
Apologize if appropriate.
★Act quickly.★State what you’re apologizing for.★Accept the blame, don’t pass it.★Ask for forgiveness.★Communicate your corrective
action immediately.B
Never say “no comment”.C
Never say “no comment”.★Try to view the crisis from the eye of
the public, do they want to hear you say “no comment”?
★ Ignoring a crisis situation will only make things worse.
★By providing no comment, you lose your greatest opportunity to control the crisis.
C
Keep some quotes on file.B
Keep some quotes on file.★“The safety of our students and staff is
always our top priority.”★“Because the safety of our students and
staff is our top priority, the building was
evacuated immediately”.★“We chose to err on the side of caution
for the safety of our students and staff ”.B
★“It is times like this that we are reminded just how precious life can be, and how fragile each of us truly are.”
★“We are fortunate to have a team of experienced counselors that can provide the much needed comfort to our students and staff.”
Keep some quotes on file.
B
★ “Once the incident was reported, the District immediately began an investigation”.
★ “Since this is a matter involving personnel, the District is unable to comment at this time”.
★ “Just like any situation that may occur, the District is following the policy established by the Board of Trustees”.
Keep some quotes on file.
B
It’s OK to stall the media.C
It’s OK to stall the media.★But always remember to work with
their deadlines.★Take time to gather your thoughts.★Know your facts and anticipate their
questions.★Rehearse your message.★Create your sound bite.
C
Interviewing Guidelines★Set the ground rules.★Communicate with your heart.★Your first words create an image.★Listen with your face.★Keep your message simple.★There is no “off the record”.
C
Bleed for a day, not a week.B
Bleed for a day, not a week.★Running away only makes the situation
worse.★Never have a press conference
addressing the problem only. ★Confront the problem and provide a
solution at the same time.★Don’t lie low hoping that the radar
doesn’t see you.B
Questions? Comments!C-B
A quick review★Be prepared.★Be mobile.★Have one spokesperson.★Be honest.★Apologize if appropriate.★Never say “no comment”.★Keep some quotes on file.★ It’s OK to stall the media.★Bleed for a day, not a week. C
What do you dowhen a crisis calls?