By Mark Athitakis for Associations Now When it comes to the relationship between an association CEO and the board chair, trust is critical. But what do you do when that trust is lacking? Dr. M. Louise Walters, founder and CEO of the consultancy the Leadership Center, recently completed her PhD thesis research on CEO-board chair relations […]
From Jason Zinoman at The New York Times No one knows what an egg yolk omelet is, but we all know that TV hosts should be relatable. Or should they? That didn’t do Ellen DeGeneres any favors. Not since Humpty Dumpty has an egg made such a mess. Last night, one week and countless […]
From our esteemed colleague and friend, attorney David Wolowitz… Just as technology has transformed classroom learning and independent school operations, so too has it opened up areas of risk. Given that schools’ reliance on technology will continue to grow, it’s important that school leaders review their processes to ensure they mitigate risk in these key […]
Introduction by Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications Hennes Communications was founded in 1989 as a full-service public relations firm. In 2001, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, we became one of the few firms in North America focused exclusively on crisis management and crisis communications. Since then, we frequently work with attorneys, who tend to be the […]
By Nora Jacobs, Hennes Communications For organizations responding to sudden, catastrophic crisis events, one of the most challenging decisions to make involves determining what to say and when to say it. Wait until all the facts have been gathered and you risk not being part of the critical first news cycle, which often sets […]
By Allie Volpe for Vox Julia Strand was confident in her scientific findings when they were published in 2018. Strand’s research showed that when a circular beacon of light was present in a noisy setting, people expended less energy listening to their conversation partner and responded quicker than without the light. The feedback was […]
By Arelis R. Hernández and Paul Farhi for The Washington Post UVALDE, Tex. — Journalists had been threatened with arrest for getting too close to the mourners, so Houston Chronicle reporter Julian Gill stayed in the designated media area when he reported on funerals the week after the massacre at Robb Elementary School. Nevertheless, a […]
It’s a simple fact: Controversies today are tried in the Court of Public Opinion more often than the Court of Law. News now breaks first on social media, with traditional media sweeping Twitter, Facebook and YouTube for leads. Whether your organization is immersed in crisis or dealing with a hot-button issue, your news can quickly […]
Crisis communications is a sub-specialty of the public relations profession that is designed to protect and defend an individual, company, or organization facing a public challenge to its reputation. Crisis communications is aimed at raising awareness of a specific type of threat, the magnitude, outcomes, and specific behaviors to adopt to reduce the threat. […]
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 […]