Crisis Communication

Section 2

• Develop a crisis communication plan for your program. Some questions you might want to consider as you develop your plan are as follows:

• What happens when your issue becomes a "hot" topic?
• What response should you give as an employee of your organization?
• Who could you suggest to the news media as extra informational resources? (Objectives 6, 7)

• Record news programs in which spokespeople are interviewed during a crisis situation. Evaluate how well you believe they responded to reporters’ questions. You also may wish to show these videotaped segments to people in your organization as a way to generate discussion about crisis communication. (Objectives 4, 6)

• Stage a "mock" crisis communication situation with people in your organization. Choose a hypothetical, yet possible, crisis situation. Have participants work in small groups to determine what message(s) should be presented to the media. Have the groups conduct a mock news conference in which group participants would provide information to the media. Participants in other groups should serve as reporters. How did the participants react during the mock crisis? Lead a discussion on how to properly provide information to the media during a crisis. (Objectives 6, 7)