Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Effective media communications is a crucial element in emergency/crisis management and should assume a central role in disaster preparedness.
4 Essentials
Proper communications establishes public confidence in the ability of an organization to deal with a crisis and to bring about a satisfactory conclusion. Effective media communication is also integral to the larger process of information exchange aimed at eliciting trust and promoting understanding of the relevant issues or actions. Good media communication aids such efforts in these 4 essential ways:
- Building, maintaining or restoring trust
- Improving knowledge and understanding
- Guiding and encouraging appropriate attitudes, decisions, actions and behaviors
- Encouraging collaboration and cooperation
To achieve the 4 Essentials, we know that Crisis Communications training for your teams must include the following subject matter:
- Assessing Media Needs, Constraints & Internal Media-Relations Capabilities
- Developing Goals, Plans and Strategies
- Training Communicators
- Preparing Messages
- Identifying Media Outlets and Media Activities
- Delivering Messages
To assist our clients, Firestorm designs, scripts, conducts and manages hands-on training seminars and workshops for senior management and includes an interactive tabletop test exercise scenario focused on responding to media demands during a crisis. We customize the exercises, and provide an opportunity for your company leadership to learn about the multiple facets of effective media management in the event of a disaster or crisis.
Crisis Simulation
We'll also partner with our friends at Hootsuite for special Crisis Training and Simulation around Social Media:
We'll teach you how to respond to exponential increases in volume to your social media accounts, provide you with a detailed response plan, and train your team through a controlled simulation. We'll deliver an executive summary outlining areas for improvement and individuals on your team who may require additional training.
Media Training
Media training seminars and workshops are typically designed based on:
- A high-level review of existing analysis of the vulnerabilities and threats identified by your company management;
- Customized Firestorm survey;
- Review of the targeted messages developed for the specific stakeholder groups,
- Crisis communications plans,
- Employee communications plans and regulatory communications plans
Overall Communication Model
Taking a larger look at the overall communication model is essential during a crisis.
Effective crisis communication is a crucial element in effective crisis management and should assume a central role from the start. It establishes employee and client confidence in the ability of a company to deal with a crisis and to bring about a rapid resolution. Effective crisis communication is also integral to the larger process of information exchange aimed at eliciting trust and promoting understanding of the relevant issues or actions.
Providing accurate and timely information to employees and other stakeholders is essential to the crisis communications process. Identifying and prioritizing target audiences and then identifying channels of communications must be established for effective internal and external communications. Plans must consider alternate communications sources: newsletters, social media, email, text messaging, and 1-800 lines. It must include predetermined stand-by message and tactics such as prepared templates, ready-to-use news releases, media statements, social media messaging, fact sheets, and backgrounds.
Specifically, Firestorm crisis communications planning:
- Defines communication response strategies that can be implemented when a crisis occurs;
- Assigns crisis communications resources and responsibilities;
- Establishes crisis communications protocols;
- Enables your company to reach target audiences with key messages;
- Enables crisis communications managers to immediately launch public information and media relations campaigns during a crisis.
Have a question about media relations and crisis communications? Contact us here.