crisis communications
"Crisis PR is not a proper and above board Yale debate. Rather, it is guerilla warfare in the jungle of public opinion.”
Anonymous
Crisis communication concerns the second reality in any emergency -- what people think has happened, or what they perceive. Contrary to popular belief, a crisis doesn’t necessarily have to be bad, it is merely characterized by a degree of risk and uncertainty.
Crisis management is the art of removing much of the risk and uncertainty to allow an organization to have more control over its destiny, by reducing the number of unknowns and conditioning appropriate behavior. Taking positive action and communicating effectively requires skillful news management, not censorship.
During a crisis, particular attention is paid to the messages communicated, the tone and emotion conveyed, and the perceived competency of the spokespersons. These all play a major role in shaping a ministry’s reputation, credibility and goodwill – which often take major positive or negative swings during and after a crisis has occurred.
Crises are communications-driven. Information spreads from media to media, and a sharing of news information is almost inevitable. This is particularly true in our current Internet age, where any article written becomes part of permanent databases that can fuel stories for years to come.
Public relations does not create false images, rather it emphasizes positive, true images. PR can focus attention away from the negative aspects of an issue to focus on the positive, equally true aspects of an issue about which an organization is better able to communicate.
Through the years, ALRC has helped clients through a number of crises – including the NIV gender-language controversy for Zondervan and International Bible Society; communications strategies and Op-ed placements for Billy Graham following release of Nixon tapes and other media situations; on-site media representation of Billy Graham at the National Prayer Service for victims of the Oklahoma City bombing and Richard Nixon and Pat Nixon funerals; on-site press operation at the Paducah, KY high school shooting memorial service co-hosted by Al Denson.
Agency personnel are skilled in not only facilitating quick response, but also determining the best strategy for containment, messaging and response in order to foster understanding and minimize escalation or prolonging of a story beyond the initial news cycle.
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