Example 1: Project 5: Electronic Portfolio of Public Relations Writing

Communicating in a Crisis

Handling a crisis is something no reporter or journalist really dreams of doing, but at some point in time, especially if you’re representing a corporation, it’s bound to happen. The readings in the module really shined a lot of light on the preparation process of a crisis in that having a plan in mind can not only save your job, but perhaps the entire company as well. It’s obvious that you would want to be prepared for a crisis, but part of what’s chaotic is the unpredictability of the whole situation. So, at least having a plan in place for how to handle different scenarios can be a game changer. After all, it’s best to have a framework in mind as opposed to starting from scratch while the situation is heating up.

Preparation might be difficult if you don’t even know what you’re preparing for, but a fantastic way of going about this is to ask questions. A professional crisis manager should understand that the workers who have first hand experience with whichever product/service is being sold would have the most useful information as to what could possibly go wrong. So, utilize the people that already work there. This will make it so much easier to create a template that essentially just needs to be filled in with specifics. Another key of preparation is creativity and brainstorming. This means literally just sitting down and writing down all possible scenarios and what to do in case any of these actually happen.

Part of handling a crisis is exhibiting responsibility, timeliness, and sincerity. It’s best not to lie about the situation and showing any compassion is how the public knows a human being is handling things and not a robot. It’s also best to have as much information on the situation as possible. This may be difficult in the moment, but a professional journalist should know not to speak on something without having the whole story. This doesn’t just go for media and publication, however. It’s more a case of human ethics and how to exercise them. The module also made it very clear that if any human lives are in danger, this should be the very first thing that’s addressed. A loss of a life is something no corporation should be able to come back from, ideally.

Another key part of crisis planning is execution. This means running drills within the company every so often like when a fireman pulls a fire alarm to make sure the whole system is still intact. In addition, somethings that shouldn’t be overlooked are time needed and a budget to follow. An appropriate budget might range from somewhere from the tens of thousands to over one hundred thousand. This will depend on the size of the company or seriousness of the catastrophe. One reading in the module, I think, worded it best: “If you fail to plan, then plan to fail.”