Ono the Ostrich CRISIS MANAGER
The Internet Newsletter about Crisis Management
Editor: Erik Bernstein
Publisher: Jonathan Bernstein

"For Those Who Are Crisis Managers,
Whether They Want to be or Not"


ISSN:1528-3836
© 2015 Jonathan Bernstein

Bill Cosby and the Worst PR Move Ever


Volume XVI, Number 21

December 15, 2015

Just a Thought
"The most perfidious way of harming a cause consists of defending it deliberately with faulty arguments."

- Friedrich Nietzsche

From the Editor

In a move that sounds more like a story from the Onion than a real-life event, Bill Cosby has filed suit against seven of his accusers. Is this the worst PR move ever?

Many of the accusations against Cosby, of which there are a staggering 49, are too dated to ever see court. The new filing is actually a counter suit in reaction to a defamation case filed by seven Massachusetts women as a result of what they say are damaging statements Cosby made while publicly denying their claims. While that may be understandable in your typical case, the question here is WHY?

Of course, given that nothing about Cosby's handling of this situation has followed what any sane person would recognize as logic, maybe asking why he does anything is a bit loony of us. He's certainly past the point where (ignoring the fact that we wouldn't, for ethical reasons, take him as a client) we would have advised him to shut up and duck his head for the next decade.

With the man at its center utterly refusing to take responsibility for not only alleged, but also his own admitted actions, there can be no resolution here. In the end we hope the victims have their day in court and are able to make their case because Cosby's actions are quite clearly beyond explanation.
- EB


Interested in reprinting BCM articles or blog posts?
We're happy to give permission for material to be reprinted in hard copy or online!

If you find something you would like to reprint, simply submit a request to jonathan@bernsteincrisismanagement.com.


Blogs

The Bernstein Crisis Management blog, along with our blog at the Free Management Library are frequently updated and filled with case studies, advice, and the latest news on techniques, threats, and more.

Here, we share a look at some of the most popular posts from recent weeks:

Is a software developer responsible for creating risks for end users? Dell Leaves the Door Open for Dirty Work investigates just such a case.

The effect of online reviews on success as an organization continues to grow, meaning it's essential to understand The Importance of Online Reviews.

VTech Breach - Lax Security and Weak Crisis Communication looks at what happened when not only parents, but also their children, became victims of a hack.

A guest post from Rob Burton of PreparedEx, Common Tabletop Exercise Mistakes will help you maximize these helpful crisis preparedness exercises.

With studies showing and increasing number of business deals going sour purely due to the reputation of one party it's time to ask, Is Your Company Culture Scaring Off Big Bucks?

Phishing, or the act of fooling someone into handing over their login info, has long been a staple of hackers. Now, thanks to evolving technology and ever more creative approaches, Advanced Phishing Poses New Threats.

Misguided attempts at creating viral social media campaigns are constantly leading to crisis, yet organizations of all kinds continue to utterly fail to predict potential negative reactions. Case in point, Hacky Hashtag Leads to Reputation Risk for IBM.

Do you have a topic you'd like to see featured in our blogs? Send an email to erik@bernsteincrisismanagement.com and there's a good chance you'll be seeing it right here in the next issue!

Business Announcements
(aka blatant self-promotion)
Are There Any Holes in Your Crisis Planning?

Your organization may well have crisis prevention and response-related plans in place - but are you sure they're going to cover all the bases? Bernstein Crisis Management's Crisis Document Audit is a low-cost, flat-rate service which will quickly provide you with a comprehensive analysis of your existing plans and recommendations for improvement.

Contact jonathan@bernsteincrisismanagement.com for more information.

We're Giving Away Keeping the Wolves at Bay

Keeping the Wolves at Bay, the widely used media-training manual published by Jonathan Bernstein, is now being given away in its PDF format. Formerly $10, there will be no charge for the publication as long as demand exists.

To visit the download page, click here.

Exciting New Services from Bernstein Crisis Management

We are are proud to introduce two new services that will allow us to better meet the needs of our clients!

First, from entering new markets to defending billion-dollar established industries, BCM's public affairs practice, led by twenty year veteran Greg Brooks, will help you win the battle for the hearts and minds of audiences from City Council to the halls of Congress.

Our second addition is based on the belief that an important piece in managing a crisis includes attending to the emotional reactions that influence the outcome. Presented and facilitated by Steven Degelsmith, Ph.D., our focused human factors in crisis management service will equip you with the tools you need to handle even the most volatile of situations.
Social Media Crisis Training

A solid social media manager has quickly become a must-have for organizations of any size, and can make an immense difference by driving in customers and building your positive reputation online.

The problem is, the vast majority are simply not equipped to even identify building crises, much less take the steps necessary to cope with and mitigate the damage that can result.

That's where we come in.

Bernstein Crisis Management is now offering crisis management training for social media managers, both independent and in-house, as well as social media firms.

For an overview of our services, estimates, or more information, contact erik@bernsteincrisismanagement.com


About Us



Jonathan Bernstein is both publisher of Crisis Manager and president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., a national crisis management public relations agency providing 24/7 access to crisis response professionals. The agency engages in the full spectrum of crisis management services: crisis prevention, response, planning & training. He has been in the public relations field since 1982, following five-year stints in both military intelligence and investigative reporting.

Write to Jonathan at:

Erik Bernstein is vice president of Bernstein Crisis Management. Erik started with BCM in 2009 as a writer and subsequently became social media manager for the consultancy itself as well as for a number of BCM clients before moving to the VP position.

Write to Erik at:

Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. is located at 700 S. Myrtle Ave., #404, Monrovia, CA 91016. Telephone: (626) 825-3838.



Legal Disclaimer (aka the small print)

All information contained herein is obtained by Jonathan Bernstein from sources believed by Jonathan Bernstein to be accurate and reliable.

Because of the possibility of human and mechanical error as well as other factors, neither Jonathan Bernstein nor Bernstein Crisis Management is responsible for any errors or omissions. All information is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Bernstein Crisis Management and Jonathan Bernstein make no representations and disclaim all express, implied, and statutory warranties of any kind to the user and/or any third party including, without limitation, warranties as to accuracy, timeliness, completeness, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose.

Unless due to willful tortuous misconduct or gross negligence, Jonathan Bernstein and Bernstein Crisis Management shall have no liability in tort, contract, or otherwise (and as permitted by law, product liability), to the user and/or any third party.

Under no circumstance shall Bernstein Crisis Management or Jonathan Bernstein be liable to the user and/or any third party for any lost profits or lost opportunity, indirect, special, consequential, incidental, or punitive damages whatsoever, even if Bernstein Crisis Management or Jonathan Bernstein has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

A service of this newsletter is to provide news summaries and/or snippets to readers. In such instances articles and/or snippets will be reprinted as they are received from the originating party or as they are displayed on the originating website or in the original article. As we do not write the news, we merely point readers to it, under no circumstance shall Bernstein Crisis Management or Jonathan Bernstein be liable to the user and/or any third party for any lost profits or lost opportunity, indirect, special, consequential, incidental, or punitive damages whatsoever due to the distribution of said news articles or snippets that lead readers to a full article on a news service's website, even if Bernstein Crisis Management or Jonathan Bernstein has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Authors of the original news story and their publications shall be exclusively held liable. Any corrections to news stories are not mandatory and shall be printed at the discretion of the list moderator after evaluation on a case-by-case basis.

In This Issue
Just A Thought
Quick Links


Bernstein Crisis Management Blog

Management Library Crisis Management Blog

Connect with Bernstein Crisis Management

Like us on Facebook View our profile on LinkedIn Find us on Google+


Follow Jonathan

Follow us
on Twitter View our profile on LinkedIn Find us on Google+

Follow Erik

Follow us
on Twitter View our profile on LinkedIn Find us on Google+




Forward email





Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. | 700 S. Myrtle Ave, #404 | Monrovia | CA | 91016





Avast logo

This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
www.avast.com