Crisis Communications and Media Management

Introduction

BP’s 2010 oil spill, the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, and the worldwide economic recession in 2008 share one common feature: they all precipitated global crises that presented immense PR challenges for the organizations involved.

This course in crisis communication and media management is designed to provide participants with an understanding of the significant impacts of such crises on organizations and how to effectively manage these effects. It emphasizes the importance of preparing rapid response teams that can manage public perception across both traditional news outlets and social media.

By attending this training, you will learn best practices in managing communication during a crisis, including situation analysis, risk assessment, and the selection of crisis team members, as well as the development of protocols and communication tools or manuals. This course is essential for those pursuing crisis communications certification.

Objectives

At the end of this Public Relations and Crisis Management course, trainees will be able to:

• Differentiate several types of crises along with their essential features.
• Summarize incidents that could affect corporate reputation before, during, and after a particular crisis.
• Highlight key points for efficient management of a crisis through communication tactics.
• Design methods for mitigating potential hazards within their organizations.
• Use media appropriately when handling a crisis.
• Prioritize key elements during a crisis communication implementation plan.
• Evaluate outcomes achieved through effective use of emergency communication systems.

Training Methodology

• Interactive lectures
• Case study evaluation
• Group discussions
• Role plays
• Live feedback
• Collaborative problem solving
• Multimedia presentations
• Scenario-based workshops

Course Outline:

Unit 1: Introduction

• Crisis definition
• General overview of communication
• Different forms/types of crises
• Crucial aspects of a crisis
• Crisis development

Unit 2: Principles of Crisis Communications

• Setting clear objectives
• Reacting quickly
• Accepting accountability
• Correct messaging
• Audience profiling
• Showing and maintaining credibility
• Coordinating with others
• Continuous monitoring

Unit 3: Crisis Management Process

• Pre-crisis phase
  • CMP – Crisis Management Plan
  • CMT – Crisis Management Team
  • Spokesperson role
• Crisis event phase
  • Initial response
  • Reputation repair
• Post-crisis phase
  • Lessons learned
  • Follow-up communication

Unit 4: Crisis Communication and Media

• Media and communication
• Media as a partner in crisis response
• Social media and crisis communication
  • Is social media useful or harmful?
  • Dynamic use of social media in crisis communication

Unit 5: Dimensions of Crisis Communication Management

• Standard operating decision dimension
• Victims management dimension
• Trust and credibility dimension
• Behavioral dimension
• Professional expectation dimension
• Ethical dimensions
• Lessons learned

Unit 6: How to Measure Your Results in a Crisis

• Measuring outputs
• Measuring impact
• Measuring outcomes