Problem
Crisis Communication Plans are strategic ways to restore and preserve an organisations reputation. A crisis is something that has a long-lasting effect on the reputation or financial viability of an organisation, such as scandal, lawsuits, or natural disasters, that effect or prevents the organisation from carrying out their activities. An organisation must be able to respond promptly, accurately and confidently during a crisis in the hours and days that follow. Many different audiences must be reached with information specific to their interests and needs. The image of the organisation can be positively or negatively impacted by public perceptions of the handling of the incident.
This activity asks you to consider something that could negatively impact your community service organisation and hypothesise some of the negative effects a crisis could have. An example you could consider is power outage, some bad press in the media or any other that you would like to consider.
Use the following questions to assist you in designing your statement:
I. What happened?
II. Where it occurred (not just the geographical location, but the media channel where the news first broke)?
III. Who in your organisation will be responsible for questions?
IV. Who needs to know? Who is your statement for? Customers, clients, community and neighbours, government regulator and other authorities, etc?
• Craft a statement for media release. Your statement should acknowledge the crisis and its severity and aim alleviate any fears the services users and public may have.
• Craft a statement for internal communications for your organisations staff.