Managing  Content  in  a  Crisis  

PRORP  Interna1onal  Congress    

By  Joan  Gladstone,  APR,  Fellow  PRSA  Gladstone  Interna1onal  www.gladstonepr.com  

Why  comment  in  a  crisis?  

Dic1onary  defini1on  of  a  spokesperson:  

Someone  whose  job  is  to  officially  represent  an  organiza1on,  for  

example  in  dealing  with  reporters  

My  defini1on  of  a  spokesperson:  

Anyone  who  speaks  

     

How  do  you  influence  percep1on  and  preserve  your  reputa1on  in  a  crisis?  

 Become  an  authorita1ve  source  of  

informa1on  to  reporters,  key  audiences  and  the  general  public  

   

Act  quickly  to  influence  the  all-­‐important  FIRST  stories  and  posts  

Three  key  elements  to  consider  when  preparing  content  during  a  crisis  

1.  Facts  2.  Ac1on  3.  Empathy  

1.  Facts    

Know  that  you  won’t  have  all  the  facts  in  the  early  stages  of  a  crisis.    

Communicate  the  facts  you  DO  have.    Add  new  informa1on  as  it  becomes  

available    

Key  Ques1ons  

• WHO  was  impacted?  • WHAT  happened?  • WHERE  did  the  incident  happen?  • WHEN  did  you  find  out?  • WHY  or  HOW  did  it  happen?  •  HOW  will  you  prevent  something  like  this  from  happening  again?  

   

 Roller  Coaster  Accident  

     

First  Media  Statement  

 We  can  confirm  that  a  man  was  in  an  accident  at  our  theme  park.  He  was  immediately  taken  to  a  hospital.  

Two  weeks  later,  two  TV  sta1ons  call  for  comment  

Do  you  go  on  camera?  

Follow-­‐up  Statement  Since  Mr.  Thomas’  unfortunate  accident  on  March  6,  2014,  we  have  fully  cooperated  with  the  (city)  police  department  and  (state)  Department  of  Safety.  We  are  commided  to  con1nuing  to  work  with  the  authori1es  as  they  inves1gate  the  cause  of  the  accident.    We  have  reached  out  to  Mr.  Thomas  and  his  family  to  offer  our  sincere  apologies  and  wishes  for  his  speedy  recovery.    

 

Media  Statement  (con1nued)  This  is  the  first  1me  that  an  accident  of  this  type  has  occurred  at  our  theme  park.  We  take  guest  safety  very  seriously  and  are  conduc1ng  our  own  internal  inves1ga1on.      We  will  take  all  ac1ons  necessary  to  ensure  that  this  adrac1on  and  all  of  our  adrac1ons  operate  in  a  safe  manner.  The  roller  coaster  will  remain  closed  pending  the  results  of  the  inves1ga1on  

 

2.  Ac1on    

Change  the  focus  from  the  media  to  those  impacted  by  the  incident  

Describe  what  you  are  doing  now,  and  what  you  plan  to  do,  to  build  

TRUST  

Preschool  Incident  

Immediate  Ac1ons  

•  No1fied  the  state  licensing  agency  •  Sent  a  leder  to  all  preschool  parents  •  Provided  a  statement  to  the  media  •  Scheduled  a  parents-­‐only  mee1ng  •  Ordered  a  temporary  suspension  of  opera1ons  for  five  days  for  intensive  staff  training  and  thorough  review  of  opera1ons  

3.  Empathy      

When  an  incident  impacts  people,    property  or  the  environment,  

 your  organiza1on’s  primary  role  is  to  express  compassion  and  

reassure  those  affected      

Lead  from  the  Heart  

•  Choose  your  spokesperson  wisely  •  Discuss  tone  &  demeanor  •  Even  if  reporters  don’t  use  the  quote,  you  can  convey  empathy  statements  via  – Website,    Facebook,  social  media,  YouTube  –  Employee  mee1ngs,  Town  Halls  –  Key  stakeholder  emails,  calls,  briefings  

Empathy  Messages  

Guidelines  •  Be  sincere  and  honest  •  Show  compassion  before  sta1ng  the  facts  •  Demonstrate  commitment  and  a  sense  of  urgency  Examples  •  We’re  deeply  sorry  about  the  tragic  accident  •  Our  hearielt  condolences  go  out  to  her  family  •  We  have  established  a  24/7  hotline  to  provide  updates      

Amtrak  188  Derails  in  Philadelphia  

Amtrak  Update:  May  12,  11:13pm    •  This  evening,  Amtrak  Northeast  Regional  Train  188,  

opera1ng  from  Washington  to  New  York  derailed  north  of  Philadelphia.    There  were  approximately  238  passengers  and  5  crew  members  on  board.    

•  Ini1al  reports  are  that  several  passengers  have  been  injured  and  taken  to  local  medical  facili1es  for  treatment.    Local  emergency  responders  are  on  the  scene  and  an  inves1ga1on  is  ongoing.  

•  Northeast  Corridor  service  between  New  York  and  Philadelphia  is  suspended.  

•  Individuals  with  ques1ons  about  their  friends  and  family  on  train  188  should  call  Amtrak's  Emergency  Hotline  at  800-­‐523-­‐9101.  Addi1onal  updates  will  be  provided  when  available.  

AMTRAK  CEO  Message  May  14  

•  The  derailment  of  Northeast  Regional  Train  188  was  terrible  tragedy  that  we  are  responding  to  with  every  resource  we  have  available.  

•  With  truly  heavy  hearts,  we  mourn  those  who  died.    •  On  behalf  of  the  en1re  Amtrak  family,  I  offer  our  sincere  sympathies  and  prayers  for  them  and  their  loved  ones.  

•  Amtrak  takes  full  responsibility  and  deeply  apologizes  for  our  role  in  this  tragic  event.  

 Take  a  lead  role  in  guiding  wise  

communica1ons  decisions  that  will  impact  your  organiza1ons’  reputa1on  during  the  

crisis  and  for  years  to  come