From Rachel Monroe, writing for The New Yorker – The paper’s employees lost neighbors, acquaintances, and a daughter in a school shooting. Then they had to report the story. The news, as it initially came over the police scanner in staticky bursts of information, was confusing. A shooting, a car crash, a man with a […]
By Stephanie York, JD, Hennes Communications Quick – What’s the single highest priority for a superintendent, head of school or board president? It’s not education. It’s safety. And just one part of that safety net is making sure you have a pre-written crisis communications plan at your fingertips – or at least the phone number […]
From Jay Harrington writing for Attorney at Work…Here’s how to use Aristotle’s rhetorical appeals — ethos, pathos and logos — to be truly persuasive in your writing. In my work as a marketing consultant for law firms, few questions are posed more frequently than this: How can we write more persuasive, effective content for our […]
Business leaders, who have increasingly waded into social issues like racial equity and voting rights, now face whether to comment on abortion. A recent New York Times story talks to corporate executives, business professors and others about that decision and provides examples of what some businesses are choosing to say. From Emma Goldberg, Alisha Haridasani […]
From Mitch Mitchell, writing for Security Magazine… History has taught security teams that crisis situations can happen at any time and more frequently than anyone can anticipate. However, when a crisis does occur, organizations find themselves in a situation where survival is the main focus — the unprecedented disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic being […]
From Jonah Bryson, writing for PRNews… The 24-hour news cycle drowns countless stories that deserve attention. Stories cannot land press coverage without a tasty soundbite, as Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson describes them. Hence it is paramount to design, deliver and circulate soundbites strategically. Here are two that have stood the test of time: “The only thing we have […]
A Crisis Can Occur Anytime & Anywhere In the immediate aftermath of a major incident, such as a mass shooting at a mall, restaurant, school, or faith-based location, the police chief and other first responder agencies will likely be lead spokespersons. But “major incidents” could turn into multi-day or multi-week events. Some of those include […]
By Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications… A reporter wants to interview you, but you don’t want to be identified as the source of the information. What do you do? The first thing to do is to ask yourself if the risk is worth it. Even if you follow everything we suggest below, what might the repercussions […]
From Marguerite Ward, writing for Insider Magazine… Three weeks ago, when President Joe Biden offered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy an escape from his country as Russian forces invaded, Zelenskyy replied, “I need ammunition, not a ride.” The answer is emblematic of Zelenskyy’s unflinching allegiance to the people of Ukraine, which has taken center stage as the world […]
From Paul Farhi, writing in The Washington Post… The scene was ghastly. Four people lay sprawled on the pavement in the immediate aftermath of a mortar strike on civilians fleeing a Ukrainian town Sunday morning. A mother and two children were already dead as soldiers knelt over a man who had been with the family, […]