The Poynter Institute for Media Studies is a non-profit journalism school and research organization in St. Petersburg, Florida. The school is the owner of the Tampa Bay Times newspaper and the International Fact-Checking Network. It also operates PolitiFact. In journalism circles, Poynter is considered to be a trusted source. So when Poynter publishes a headline like this it’s a […]
By Shahar Silbershatz for PRNews How much damage can a corporate crisis do? Quite a lot, it turns out. In 2018, The Economist looked at eight of the most notable crises from this century and found that the companies involved were worth, on average, 30% less today than they would have been had the crisis in question […]
By Eric Rose for PRNews This recent headline would make any crisis communicator cringe: “Amazon’s plans to advance its interests in California laid bare in leaked memo.” The story, which unfolded through a leaked internal memo, shed light on Amazon’s growth strategy in the Southern California region and its 2024 internal community outreach plans. As the […]
From our friend and colleague in Australia, Tony Jaques… Who should speak in a crisis? That deceptively simple question can help determine whether an organisation’s reputation is enhanced or irreparably damaged when things go wrong. And behind that question are two common errors in crisis management. The first error is the idea that “speaking with one voice” […]
Is COVID-19 still a pandemic? Is it over? Should we call it something else? In his latest article, Dr. Peter Sandman delves into the ongoing narrative of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing a critical lens through which communicators can navigate the complex landscape of public perception and complacency. As we stand at the crossroads of public […]
By Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications In 1989, I opened Hennes Communications, not realizing the profound impact a select few would have on my life and career. Among these guiding stars was Richard Levick – not just as mentor and friend, but a visionary in crisis communications. Richard was a force of nature in our field, […]
By Richard Levick Speaking with journalists, shareholders, customers and stakeholders is easy when the going is good. As the old saying goes, “We are all capitalists on the way up but socialists on the way down.” But when things turn bad, communications suddenly become much more challenging. As another old saying goes, “The gods of […]
By Chris Gidez for PRNews Imagine a Jeopardy category titled, “Tired Corporate PR Phrases.” For example, “delivering solid results,” “leverage our strong position,” “people are our greatest asset,” and—perhaps the most infamous corporate cliché of all—”Safety is our top priority.” These phrases have become so over-used as to be worthless. But we continue to see them in […]
Maria Feeley, chief legal officer for Washington and Lee University, has seen her share of crises, at Washington & Lee as well as Rosemont College, the University of Hartford and Florida A&M, where she’s worked or served on boards. Think about whether you’d like to be faced with any of these: A social media firestorm attracts […]
By Christopher Zara for Fast Company True innovation is hard enough to achieve on its own terms, but imagine trying to do it at 50 times the speed. The following 10 companies and nonprofits were recognized for creative and groundbreaking responses to emergency situations, often amid extremely high stakes and with human lives on the […]