Types of Communication in a Crisis

Whether it's a natural disaster, a problem with the safety of employees, or a big mess in the media, a crisis can hurt a business's image. Companies must act quickly to keep their good name.

The news media are a key way to get the first information about a disaster. But the news media might not be the only way for a company to get its message out.

A press release is information about an event that is sent to a news agency. It can be used to tell people about an event, make a formal statement, or make a plan for how to handle a problem. During a disaster, the news media are often a key group of people who need to be reached. So, studies in crisis communication often look at how mass media relations affect how people respond to a crisis.

A standard press release starts with a headline that is meant to get the attention of journalists and others who read it. It then tells what happened in no more than six to eight words. It might have a sub-headline that goes into more detail about the title.

A crisis management plan (CMP) is a document that tells people on the team in charge of handling a crisis what they should usually do in a crisis and can be used as a guide. The CMP helps save time during a disaster by providing templates and lists of important information that have already been put together.

A web site, which can also be written as a website, web page, or Internet site, is a group of web pages that have been put together under a single URL. A web browser, like Explorer or Firefox, is used to get to websites.

According to the Corporate Leadership Council (2003), one of the best ways for a company to handle a crisis is to have a crisis website. During a product recall, for example, a company can use its website to show which goods are affected and how the recall will be handled.

A crisis communication template is also helpful so that notes can be sent quickly and effectively. Both the Corporate Leadership Council (2003) and the Business Roundtable (2002) suggest this method, in which the public relations staff makes templates with blanks for key pieces of information. Then, when the exact information is ready, it is easy to add it to the template and make it public.

Organizations can use mass notification systems to send one-way messages to all parties via phone, email, or text. They can also find and tell staff about specific problem situations without any help from a person.

A well-designed mass notification system lets an organization keep track of how it reacts to events as they happen and evaluate how it does so. It can help a company improve how it handles crises in the future and decide if it needs to change its rules and training for spokespeople.

During a crisis, the group needs to make sure its spokespeople are well-trained and know what its main points are. They should be able to give information in a clear way, with few pauses (like "uhms") and signs of nervousness. Speakers should also make strong eye contact so they don't seem like they are lying.

The best emergency notification systems also allow recipients and the company to talk back and forth. This lets employees mark themselves as safe and ask for help, which helps the company send help where it's most needed.

Crisis managers should not only impart knowledge but also show sympathy and care for everyone who is affected by the crisis. This is called an expression of concern (EEoC), and it has been shown to lessen the damage a crisis does to a company's image. (Kellerman, 2006; Coombs and Holladay, 1996).

Before, during, and after a problem, people should be able to talk to each other. Make sure that stakeholders can ask business questions and get answers to those questions. This can be done by making sure there are ways to get in touch with a specific contact person or group.

Make it clear which people are the main and backup spokespersons for each communication route. This will make it less likely that someone will make a mistake, like saying that an employee is an expert on the situation when they are not or saying something that could be seen as an excuse, like "our oil spill was a drop in the ocean compared to the Exxon Valdez" or "it was sad that someone died in our car crash, but they weren't wearing a seatbelt." The Crisis Communications Team should look over holding comments all the time.