Monthly Archives: June 2012

Talk to Your Online Community in Times of Crisis

Published on 30th June 2012 by . Leave a Comment

Crisis management calls for constant communication

One of our most-used sayings here at Bernstein Crisis Management is, “in the absence of communication, rumor and innuendo fill the gap.” Never has that been more true than now, where the line between accredited media member and amateur e-reporter is almost completely blurred. The moment stakeholders catch wind of an incident they’re going to sit down at the computer, or just reach into their pocket and bust out the smartphone, and find out what they can. Whether the news they see is from CNN or @joe_blow, chances are it’s getting read/viewed, commented on, and shared. How do you prevent false information from trashing your reputation? Follow this advice, from a Kuno Creative blog post by Jenny Traster:

Be transparent – Don’t keep information to yourself. Share and keep your online community constantly informed. Post short video updates answering frequently asked questions, tweet and respond frequently. Social media requires more responsiveness at a quicker rate.

Your audience is hungry, and not for a steak dinner. What they want in a crisis is information, and it’s your decision whether they satisfy that hunger with solid facts that present your organization in a positive light, or feast on the massive helpings of damaging rumor and innuendo that will pop up when you bury your head in the sand.

The BCM Blogging Team
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

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They Call it an “Ambush”

Published on 30th June 2012 by . 1 Comment. Click to add yours.

Crucial crisis management advice for a common conundrum

Editor’s note: Many thanks to crisis management/community relations pro Judy Hoffman for allowing us to publish the following article.

Perhaps you have heard the term “ambush interview.”  It can mean several different things to media trainers like myself. The dictionary defines ambush as “a surprise attack.”  It could happen when you have been called in because of a serious incident and media people — complete with cameras rolling — literally jump out of the bushes as you are leaving your home or arriving at your office. Or it could occur during an interview you have agreed to hold about a particular subject, but the reporter springs a totally different subject on you, asking aggressive questions.

Like most people, your first instinct might be to say, defensively and with distinct body language, “NO COMMENT!” Then you may remember that you’ve been told by various people – media consultants or internal communications experts – that this is not a good approach because it immediately signals to the reporter that you are hiding something. “Guilty as charged,” as a reporter friend of mine used to say.

WHAT NOT TO DO

Do not say those two words, “No comment.”  They have been used so often by people who don’t have a good story to tell that they practically invite a conscientious reporter to dig into whatever accusations have been made or explore a negative story they have been told.

Do not take a swing at the cameraman or try to rip the camera out of his hands.  All of that will be captured on film or reported on back at the studio. The visual drama will make it a great news story from their point of view.  And it will make you look bad – guilty, scared, and rude.

Do not just turn on your heel and walk away from them, ducking into a door and locking it.  Again, this will be captured on film and played on air to make you look like you are desperate to avoid admitting something bad.

Do not say, “That’s an interesting question,” while walking away from them. (I only mention this as it is something I recently saw recommended by another crisis communications consultant. Seriously???)

WHAT ARE YOUR ALTERNATIVES?

As is so often the case, the answer is, “It depends.”  It depends on the situation and whether you are the right person with the correct information to answer the questions, assuming that the questions are valid and reasonable. So let’s look at several different situations.

If you have just been made aware of the situation and you have not yet been briefed on the specifics, tell the reporter who accosts you on the way to the Crisis Management Center, “I can confirm at this time that there has been an accident involving our company.  I can’t tell you anything more about it because I simply do not have the facts yet. As soon as we have verified information, I will get back to you.”  Then, of course, you must return at least to give them the basics of the who, what, where and when and a brief description of what the organization is doing about it. Promise to provide more detailed information when it becomes available.

If you are not the proper person to answer the question, refer the reporter to that person, whether it is an emergency responder, a government agency, a law enforcement official, or someone else. Be courteous and helpful, but do not attempt to answer for anyone else when it’s not your role.

If the question is reasonable, but you don’t yet have the information to answer it with certainty, simply say so. “I’m sorry, but I just don’t know the answer to that yet. I will research it and get back to you.” Do NOT use this answer if you know right away that the question is one where ongoing legal cases, confidentiality or proprietary issues will prohibit your talking about it.

If the question is based on untrue or unsubstantiated claims, point that out firmly to the reporter. “I’m sorry, but I can’t answer your question because what is being stated is (1) simply not true or (2) based on unproven allegations at this point.”

If the question calls for you to speculate on something, be very clear. “We make it a habit not to speculate. We are working hard to find out exactly what happened and it does no one any good to guess about things. We are taking this matter seriously and will get back to you when we have gotten further along with the investigation and we have verified facts to report.”

Judy Hoffman is Author of “Keeping Cool on the Hot Seat: Dealing Effectively with the Media in Times of Crisis”, www.judyhoffman.com

Editor’s Comment from Jonathan Bernstein:  Here’s another option to add to the excellent list Judy provided.  Buy yourself some time by telling the reporter, “I’d love to speak with you, but why don’t we do it where it will be more comfortable for all of us.  Can you come over to my office (or wherever is convenient, a space you can control).  If the journalist agrees, it buys you some time to think about what you’re going to say and, in your own space, it’s usually easier to avoid looking defensive.

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Rumors Cause Crisis Management Catastrophe

Published on 26th June 2012 by . Leave a Comment

Catch trouble early to prevent crisis management nightmares

It was a blood-boiler of a story, a menacing tale of government gone too far: The Environmental Protection Agency was spying on Midwestern farmers with the same aerial “drones” used to kill terrorists overseas.

This month, the idea has been repeated in TV segments, on multiple blogs and by at least four congressmen. The only trouble is, it isn’t true.

It was never true. The EPA isn’t using drone aircraft — in the Midwest or anywhere else.

This quote, from a Washington Post article by David Fahrenthold, is yet another example that shows just how wildly out of control false information can get on social media. What started as a group of Nebraskan lawmakers asking for answers about manned surveillance planes being operated by the EPA turned into a headline-grabbing story when a few social media users caught the story second hand and twisted things a bit. Suddenly, instead of benign small planes, the EPA was (supposedly) using DRONES, already a hot button topic in the news. As the quote says, the story really grew legs after that, blowing up all over Twitter and Facebook, and grabbing air time everywhere from Fox News to Comedy Central.

Remember, all of this was over something 100% fabricated. At no point did the EPA use drones, at no point did the Nebraskan lawmakers who began the inquiry ask about drones, yet for well over a week, there was a massive furor raging about the EPA and its nonexistent use of these nonexistent drones.

In order to stay ahead of problems like this, it’s essential to constantly monitor both traditional and social media for anything that could concern your organization. In the case of the EPA, it should have been on top of the first tricklings of false rumors on blogs and Twitter, clarifying to the posters that there were in fact no drone aircraft in use, and asking that a correction be posted where possible. If you can catch the problem right when it starts, crisis management becomes a significantly simpler task.

The BCM Blogging Team
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

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A Crisis in One Culture May Be Commonplace in Another

Published on 24th June 2012 by . 1 Comment. Click to add yours.

It depends on the culture

[Editor's note:  We're pleased to bring you this article from crisis consultant Tony Jaques.]

While the Internet and online technology is rapidly flattening out cultural differences, an incident in Australia provides a reminder that what might be commonplace in one country can trigger a reputational crisis in another.

Two Australian Olympic swimmers, in the USA for training, visited a Californian shooting range and had a photograph taken of themselves posing gangster-style with guns.  Most Americans wouldn’t think twice about it, but when the photo was posted on Facebook, it created a crisis for the two swimmers.

Many Australians regarded the photo as silly and immature, but a noisy cadre of commentators called for the swimmers to be banned from the Olympics, and Swimming Australia and the Australian Olympic Committee found  themselves facing a reputational crisis.

Swimming Australia was already under question for reinstating Nick D’Arcy, who was booted off the 2008 Olympic Team for assaulting a team-mate, while fellow swimmer  Kenrick Monk had created headlines after lying to police about being the victim of a hit and run.

Australian Olympic Chief Nick Green called the latest gun-toting photos “foolish and inappropriate” and ordered them taken down. “One of the questions,” he said, “is have they brought themselves into disrepute, or have they brought the Australian team into disrepute.” It was an excellent question, but sports administrators failed to adequately respond to the predictable storm of media and online protest, and left it to others to comment.

On one hand swimming legend Dawn Fraser who offered the unhelpful response that “boys will be boys.”   By contrast the influential Sydney Morning Herald called D’Arcy “the embodiment of the modern sporting idiot” and said such behaviour made him unfit to represent his country. Yes, shooting is an Olympic sport, but gun ownership in Australia is heavily controlled and there is a low public tolerance of personal firearms.

Meanwhile the two swimmers appeared to lack adequate counsel on what to say.  Nick D’Arcy trotted out the classic non-apology which every crisis expert says to avoid. “The photos were just a bit of fun. If anyone’s been offended, obviously I deeply apologise.” Where were the experienced minders who should have been advising on a more sincere response?

The Australian Olympic Committee finally announced its decision, labelling D’Arcy and Monk “repeat offenders who had shown poor judgement in their decision-making.” And the penalty?  The two swimmers will have to come home immediately after their events rather than staying on in London, and are banned off social media. Then, after almost a week of delay, Swimming Australia said they had reminded the duo of their responsibilities but would take no further action.

But what about the undoubted damage to the reputation of both Swimming Australia and the Olympic Committee?

Regardless of whether the “punishment fits the crime” in this case – or whether any punishment at all was called for – it’s a reminder that perception differs greatly between cultures. It is also a reminder that, irrespective of culture, proactive issue management demands prompt, decisive leadership, which was patently absent in this case.

Tony Jaques is Director of Issue Outcomes, a full-service crisis management firm serving clients across PanAsia.

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Crisis Management Takes Communication

Published on 22nd June 2012 by . Leave a Comment

Become the source or risk your reputation

Today’s public expects immediate answers. They want to hear about a crisis, type a few words into Google, and have the full story pop up. If they don’t get that, they’re headed to Twitter and Facebook to see what information is available, or maybe jumping to a few conclusions of their own to share with the web.

Many organizations fall into trouble because they simply haven’t kept up with this demand. Instead of positioning themselves as THE expert source of information in crises, they bury their heads in the sand and wish for favorable media coverage. Here’s a great quote from a source you may not expect to be talking about media skills – a Construction Business Owner article by Jeana Durst, in which she interviews former construction industry consultant Janine Shea:

Shea observed that most contractors do not like publicity, and many don’t have skills in this area. But this excuse will not suffice during a crisis. “The day of being a silent contractor is gone,” she says. You must be savvy enough to position your company in the best possible light in today’s media-driven society in which news of an earthquake reaches the twitterverse before the aftershocks. Because the communication within the first few hours of a crisis is the most important, only contractors with a strategic plan can navigate these choppy waters.

Simply put, you’ve got to be ready to communicate. Actually, you have to be more than ready. In order to build your organization’s reputation and enhance its crisis management ability, you’ve got to become a communications machine, talking, and most importantly listening, to stakeholders, both internal and external, then adapting to their needs.

The BCM Blogging Team
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

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