Public health and homeland security experts understand the importance of crisis preparedness. Unfortunately, many institutions and private companies fail to develop their own plans in anticipation of a natural disaster or emergency event. As a result, employees and customers can be left in a precarious and sometimes dangerous environment when advanced preparation might have assured safety and calm.
In light of the growing focus on preparedness and crisis response among many organizations outside of government and public health, Widmeyer Communications was inspired to host “Integrating New Media and Operational Strategies in Emergency Communications.” The forum was the latest in our regular Issues & Angles series and took place at Widmeyer’s headquarters in Washington, DC on May 23, 2006. A diverse array of participants from the private and public sector attended the free, interactive seminar.
Led by the Consortium for Risk and Crisis Communication, which is comprised of the Center for Risk Communication and Widmeyer Communications, the seminar featured internationally recognized experts Tim L. Tinker, MPH, DrPH, Co-Founder, Consortium for Risk and Crisis Communications; Vincent T. Covello, Ph.D, Director, Center for Risk Communication; Paul Moniz, Vice President, Widmeyer Communications; and, Lee Jenkins, Senior Vice President, Widmeyer Communications.
The session began with an overview of why a feasible crisis communication plan must be in place well before the actual crisis strikes and then moved on to describe how organizations can begin to develop such a plan.
“As the director of public affairs for the Department of Mental Health in Washington, DC, I work closely with others in the department to develop crisis management plans,” said Linda Grant. “The seminar's interactive format brought the material to life. Several days later, we faced a crisis and I had the science-based template to create our message. The seminar provided practical information that we can apply to our real-life circumstances.”
Dr. Covello stressed the fact that high stress situations change the rules of communication. Successfully dealing with such situations requires anticipating, preparing and actually practicing the crisis communications plan. He also addressed the need to cut through the “mental noise” that becomes prevalent during a crisis due to high emotions, stress and general sensory overload. The Consortium applies a message development format that takes such “mental noise” into consideration by utilizing a “27-9-3” approach whereby messages should contain no more than 27 words, take no more than nine seconds to say and comprise no more than three main messages for the target audience.
Widmeyer media relations expert Paul Moniz discussed the role of the media during a crisis or emergency. He provided a former broadcast journalist’s insider understanding of newsroom dynamics during a crisis. Moniz’s recommendations included providing frequent updates at predictable intervals, training spokespersons, assessing and addressing rumors quickly and providing easy access to subject matter experts.
Finally, new media expert Lee Jenkins talked with participants about using technology to quickly communicate with audiences in response to a crisis. Jenkins emphasized the need to first assess existing capabilities in order to understand current infrastructure and what platforms can (and can’t) be utilized in the event of a crisis. He also provided examples of organizations that have effectively incorporated technology in their crisis response plan and he pointed to specific options that should be considered. Such options included establishing a blog, using a podcast in advance of a crisis and incorporating mobile communications.
The Consortium for Risk and Crisis Communication will continue working closely with many of the participants in the months ahead.
For more information about the Consortium for Risk and Crisis Communication, contact Tim Tinker at tim.tinker@widmeyer.com or at 202-667-0901.
ISSUE 1
Public health and homeland security experts understand the importance of crisis preparedness. Unfortunately, many institutions and private companies fail to develop their own plans in anticipation of a natural disaster or emergency event. As a result, employees and customers can be left in a precarious and sometimes dangerous environment when advanced preparation might have assured safety and calm.
