...Communication And Crisis Course: Date: Professor: Crisis Communication Communication is an essential component of effective crisis management. This is especially the case in a situation where the basic needs, health, and lives of thousands or even millions are at stake. In a situation where the water supply is at risk, for example, it is essential to establish a communication plan as soon as the risk becomes known. In this way any preventable cases of illness or death can be mitigated. When the risk of water supply contamination by a biological agent becomes known, for example, the main requirement is to communicate this to as large a proportion of the affected public as possible while minimizing the risk of panic or false information. To do this effectively, a sequence of risk-related communication needs to be implemented, including the choice of a risk communication team, communication to the public via the press and via information technology. The first step of communicating a risk situation and all its associated factors is from the agency managing director to subordinates in charge of communication practices and risk mitigation. One component of such communication is the need to assemble a risk communication team (Clawson Freeo, 2012). According to Clawson Freeo (2012), this team should include at least the CEO, the chief of Public Relations, the Vice President, and Senior manager of, in this case, the Division of Water Safety, the safety...
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...UNITED STATES SPORTS ACADEMY Crisis Communications A Class Paper Submitted for SAM 551 Public Relations in Sports Professor: Dr. Tim Newman Timothy J Hawkins Daphne, Alabama March 19, 2013 PR professionals don't anticipate crises, rather they, take the opportunity just as athletes, to "train and prepare" for a crisis and the ensuing need for a communication strategy. Well at least some do. The scandal at Penn State University shows not all are prepared for a crisis when it arises. When something of this magnitude hits a college campus the fate of the school lies in the hands of the public relations professional at the school. All sport teams and colleges should have a crisis communication plan and plan of action in place. Hopefully one they never have to use but the exercise of getting your event team together or your staff and going through a "what if" scenario for several key or major milestones in the event, is essential. The time to prepare for a crisis might seem like time that is not well spent. With lots of little details to manage, taking time out to put into place a plan, just in case, seems almost trivial to some event planners and marketers. The Penn State University officials handled the situation poorly. The mistakes that they made were many. The public relation reps should not have delayed a response to allegations. What the reps and the athletic department should have done was to face the public promptly clarifying misconceptions...
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...Communication and Crisis Paper HCS/320 Instructor: Debbie Hunt September 03, 2012 The nuclear reactor that malfunctioned, in the Three Mile Island created a release of radiation into the environment which caused a crisis. It drew a lot of media and created concerns in the local area and beyond. A traditional form of technology was used to notify the public, television networks and local radio stations were used. Compared to the crisis that took place in 2005, Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the New Orleans area, immersing many parts of the city under water causing trauma to families, the strategy for communication used was the internet, which reached a greater number of the public in less time. As a director of a regional Emergency Management office and was to start receiving official reports that the public water supplies of several towns in the area have become contaminated with a life-threatening biological agent, the strategy I would use to start a contingency plan that would address my organization and the public without creating panic would be to send an immediate e-mail to all staff to attend an emergency, mandatory meeting. Employee’s who are unable to attend because of emergency situations will have access to a video conference. I would get one of our communication specialists in the company to give a presentation reminding our organization’s staff of our organization’s emergency policies and procedures in...
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...Communication and Crisis HCS 320 May 20, 2013 Teresa Shook Communication and Crisis An Emergency Management Director’s job is very complex. That person is responsible for not only coordinating with other agencies, but also ensuring proper communication with them as well as the media and the public to keep them informed as to the status of the damage, cleanup efforts, and other needs as they arise. In the case of Hurricane Katrina, the director must communicate and coordinate efforts with the EPA, Red Cross, other FEMA departments, and the federal government to ensure that all proper bases are covered to monitor and coordinate the cleanup and shelter of those people affected by the hurricane. The director must also communicate with news media and the public as to the scope of the disaster, what is being done for the victims, and what the public can do to help with recovery. There are several advantages to communicating within the various organizations that are teaming up to help the victims and clean up the aftermath. The first is that each organization has its own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to certain capabilities and they can pool resources to help get things done in a timely fashion. A second advantage is that by getting the information out to different local organizations, they can begin to recruit volunteers to help with gathering food, water, or other materials for the victims quickly, and even nearby towns can begin to help set up shelter areas...
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...Communications and Crisis Paper HCS/ 320 Polly Hanson May 20, 2013 When a crisis occurs, it becomes a stressful and overwhelming environment for an individual. Not knowing is one of the most unceasing parts about a crisis. Sometimes it is very hard to cope effectively with everyday life situations. In situations like these people forget how to act calm and normal as usual. The nuclear reactor malfunction in the Three Mile Island created a crisis because it released dangerous radiation into the environment. There were many concerns in the area of how they would deal with this terrible situation. There were several different forms of technology used such as television and radio cast that notified the general public. Emails and blogs were set up for those individuals that had access to the internet, and there were updates being handled on the company’s website. As the director of regional Emergency Management Office, there will need to be a plan on how this situation will be addressed and taken care of. There needs to be constant communication to the general public to let them know that the situation is being taken care of. When a Crisis hits the first thing you do is figure out what the facts are and how to communicate those facts. (Pisciotta, 2010). Honesty is always the best policy. Therefore, the public should not be stonewalled or refused any information. There should be no added pressure than there already is on the company. When communicating with the public...
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...Communication and Crisis Julie Maple August 18, 2013 HCS/320 Teresa Shook I am the director of the regional emergency management office. I am coming to you because I have been receiving official reports that our public water supplies of several towns in the area have become contaminated with a life threatening biological agent. Having a contaminated water supply is a very serious situation. There is no solid evidence to show how the water became contaminated, and people need to know what symptoms to look for. Symptoms to look for are nose bleeds, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, blurred vision, and abdominal pain. Contingency plans will be addressed within this organization, as well as with the public, without causing or creating a panic. As the director, it is my job to put together a strong, reliable group that will be communicating inside and outside of the organization during this crisis of contaminated water supplies. The first thing that needs to be done is to contact different agencies to see if we can find out how serious the contamination really is, and how widespread. Agencies that I would contact would be local agencies like the public works, and local law enforcement agencies. I would also want to know what the water has been contaminated with. The best agency to ask this question would be poison control. The second thing that needs to be done is to let the public know about this crisis. I think the best way to do this without inducing panic would...
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...Communication Crisis Carolyn Ervin HCS/320 February 20, 2015 Marina Voronin This paper will touch bases on individuals and are groups that communicate inside and outside this organization, potential advantages and challenges, and private and public sectors in this crisis situation. This paper will also address the different crisis situation in communication process the appropriate technology, and how technology can be used as well as media opportunities in this crisis situation. Today, the Director of the Regional Emergency Management Office I have been receiving reports concerning the public waters that might have become contaminated, and possibly have life threatening biological agents. Due to the reports of the water being contaminated that is tremendously fragile situation, and there are lives in danger. In the reports there are families that are in the hospital because of the contaminated water supply. Right, now we are unable to determine how the water was even polluted. Furthermore, while we look into this there are symptoms you want to look for such as, severe abdomen pain, headache, vomiting, nose bleed, diarrhea, and blurred vision. There is an emergency plan to have the city water supply back to drinking where it should be as well as for the other areas. There will be a brief meeting to make sure that for our community this crisis must be taken care of immediately. So, that the people can be at ease. But, however, as the Director of the Regional Emergency...
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...Communication and crisis Denieka Ogletree HCS/320 August 25, 2012 Cheryl Workman Communication and crisis Today I come to you by way of the director of the regional Emergency Management Office. I have been receiving official reports that the public water supplies of several towns in the area have become contaminated with a life-threatening biological agent. The crisis of contaminated water supply is an extremely delicate situation. The weight of people lives are in immense danger. So far there have been several people rushed to the emergency room because of this water supply contamination. We have no solid information on how our water supply was polluted. The symptoms to look for are nose bleeds, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, blurred vision and severe abdomen pain. Contingency plans will and must be addressed within this organization and with the public without creating a panic. We will do all that is within our power to get our water supply back under control. I will hold a brief press conference to ensure the community we are doing all we can to get this crisis taken care of. In order to try and put the public at ease, I will ask the Governor and Director of the Water Waste Manger to attend this press conference. It is my job as the Emergency Management Office to put a group together that will be communicating inside and outside the organization during this crisis. Potential advantages and challenges associated with communicating within the organization...
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...1 University of Phoenix HCS 320 Health Care Communication Strategies MU13BHA08 Communication During a Crisis Situation Given the scenario, today as the director of a regional Emergency Management Office, the phone begun to ring more than usual. I had started receiving official reports that the public water supplies of several towns in the area have become contaminated with a life-threatening biological agent. Contingency plans must be addressed within the organization, and with the public without creating a panic. This paper will cover development of a communication plan, and what the communication plan should include. This paper will also cover topics regarding potential advantages, and challenges with communication, communication with the public, and private sector, message mapping, the use of social media, and how media might be used with today’s modern technology. If carefully designed, communication plan can save precious time when an emergency occurs and enable leaders and spokespersons to focus on particulars of the emergency at hand, and the quality, accuracy, and speed of their responses. To show the context of messaging as part of the overall plan, the following describes what a comprehensive communication plan should include. • Describe and designate staff roles and responsibilities for different emergency scenarios • Designate who is accountable for leading the response • Designate who is responsible for implementing various actions ...
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...Communication and Crisis Paper The communication in a crisis situation is extremely important. There are many factors to keep in mind before alerting the public on the situation. In the instance of me being a director of a regional Emergency Management Office coming across the information that our water supply in certain areas has been contaminated with a life threatening biological agent; I would first set up a strategic plan to gather the facts, set up a plan of action and then notify the public of the situation along with the plan and what they need to do to stay safe. The individuals that will be communicating inside and outside the organization during the crisis situation are going to be the water suppliers, the mayor, media outlets, local hospitals for treatment, the public and my team on the field and in the office. I would set up team leads that would work directly with each area of communication as well assigning a person to keep a website and social media page up to date with public information. Some advantages of working with the local media outlets, whether it is the local news station, radio or using social media, are we can get the word out quickly to stop the community from using the water until the situation has been remedied. In addition to the above, communication between my office and the other areas involved we can give detailed instructions to follow during the crisis. Disadvantages of using the media is communication is lacking between them and my office...
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...Communication and Crisis HCS/320 02/02/2015 Communication and Crisis In today’s health care crisis, essential communication is the key to establishing a solution for every healthcare organization. As a director of a regional emergency management office, I received official reports that the public water supplies of several towns in the area have become contaminated. When something comes up, that is very urgent and very important such as a life-threatening biological agent; the organization is facing an event defined as a health crisis. According to Issues and Crisis Communications Management : “Crisis - Any immediate situation that causes deviation from regular operating practices and has the ability to impact your organization's corporate reputation or value” . Health care crisis used to be handled in the past by a limited communication system such as television and radio. Those days, the newer communication technologies such as internet and media are more involved to inform the public about the latest news minute by minute. To control the crisis, the organization has a crisis plan to help hold the situation and contain the spread of the crisis. A well-conceived crisis communication plan will guide our emergency management office and its team from different departments such as communication office confidently through immediate and near-term steps and outline actions. Communication inside and outside the organization during a crisis is essential. A group...
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...Communication and Crisis Paper Part 2 Isaac Parker University of Phoenix For decades, crisis of catastrophic nature have occurred worldwide and show no signs of abating. They can occur with or without warning and communication has been the key in learning and being able to affectively deal on any particular nature. With the world’s communication being what it is today, it can be safe to say that communication is on par with being 24/7. In dealing with any crisis, the particular situation is very often framed and covered by the media. With that being the case, reporters are going to be the audience that you will need to establish contact with first and foremost. Now just because the reporters are typically first in line, there are very strong advantages that offered via email, internet and mobile phones. These resources and devices offer various capacities to effectively communicating in more direct ways with your audience. The idea is to take advantage the technology and talk to other members of your audience that includes employees, investors/board members, customers, opinion leaders in your community, elected officials, and the press. One of the most to establish effective communication is to have a strong foundation. When comes dealing with any crisis, it really pays to know the facts and to be familiar with the method for getting the facts. It does help to show some level of restraint because you are communicating publicly. There are many different ways to deliver...
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...Communication and Crisis HCS/320 When there is a water contamination problems over several towns there are steps that need to be taken. First the crisis has been identified; second a spokesperson or individuals who are the only person that is authorized to speak on behalf of the organization during a crisis. Normally the CEO is the spokesperson, but not always the primary spokesperson. A spokesperson is needed to communicate with the media, communicates with the communities that are affected and those that are not, internal and external, on camera interviews, public meetings, meeting with employees, and ect. This spokesperson is under fire to answer questions, so having just one person to take on this is important. “Avoid the phrase “no comment” because people think it means the organization is guilty and trying to hide something. Present information clearly by avoiding jargon or technical terms. Lack of clarity makes people think that the organization is purposefully being confusing in order to hide something. Appear pleasant on camera by avoiding nervous habits like pacing or fidgeting. Avoid “uhms” or “uhs”, you must make strong eye contact, (T. Coombs,2007).” During this crisis establish how the public is going to be notified and how quickly they need to be notified and of how much information needs to be released. We have to access the situation to see how many people are affected and express concern about the impact of what has happened to the customers, employees...
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...Communication is an act of conveying information from several forms of exchange, such as, speech, message, visuals, writing, signals, and behavior. This form of exchange can be between two or more individuals. When communicating with someone there are several important steps to take when you are needing to succeed in a task. Such as a disaster or a form of a crisis, proper communication is critical in the situation. Once a crisis arise in your community pertaining contaminated water there are vital steps to take to address within your organization and out side of the organization. Working in a regional emergency management office having a plan before anything happens is essential in the work place. By anticipating the crisis will prepare you for a possible situation and place you ahead of miscommunication. Once the crisis does arise there are steps to proceed with. These steps will assist with active and effective communication to inform and give instructions. In this situation a step to take within and outside of your organization is to identify your crisis communication team. The team should consist of the CEO, Vice President, safety officer, organization lawyer and chief of public communication of the organization. The senior manager of the division in charge of the involved area should be included also. The individuals assigned to this team should be able to identify as to what actions should be taken and be key to the situation. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control...
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...In February of 2015, General Motors initiated a recall on 800,000 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 and 600,000 Chevrolet HHR, Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Ion and Saturn Sky vehicles. The controversy surrounding the recall at this time was why had GM chosen to recall the defective vehicles so long after the ignition switch problem had been discovered. They had been under investigation for just that. Recently inducted as GM’s CEO, Mary Barra was struggling to keep the GM name in tact through this recall nightmare. She is credited for maintaining her cool as she continued to defend how GM was handling the recall and pledging to conduct an internal review of the company stating that GM would, “hold [themselves] accountable and improve our processes so our customers do not experience this again (CNN)." To support this promise, she appointed legal firms to conduct an internal investigation of the events leading up to the recall. In March of that same year, GM expanded its ignition switch recall after admitting to this being the core cause of the recall. The recall was now to include cars sold between 2008 and 2011 in the US. The death toll reached a total of 13 confirmed cases. It is apparent that GM did not feel the need to acknowledge the ignition switch issue until these deaths came to light. Why else would it take GM 10 years to issue a recall? Barra was stuck in a tough situation. She hired Ken Feinberg, a well-known attorney experienced in determining victim compensation, to address...
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