Are you ready to elevate your career and become an indispensable asset to your organization? Ohio University’s prestigious Scripps College of Communication offers an exceptional opportunity that could transform your professional trajectory. Through an innovative partnership with Hennes Communications, if you recently attended a seminar with Bruce Hennes, you can receive one free credit hour […]
From our good friend and colleague, Tony Jaques, Director of Issue Outcomes Pty Ltd, in Australia… Does a CEO op-ed serve any good purpose in a crisis? Writing an op-ed to help frame an important issue is a well-established tool in the communications armoury. But when a CEO uses it to “explain” a corporate crisis, it […]
By Jennifer Hahn, writing for PR News… Public health wise, 2025 is off to a rough start. Current data shows that H5N1 Bird flu has spread from millions of birds to nearly 1,000 cows and 69 humans. Newly-minted United States Health and Human Services Director and outspoken vaccine skeptic, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., used his first week in office […]
By Lindsey Bradshaw writing for PR News… Did you know social media actually dates back to the 1970s? Long before the web, the PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations) computer system pioneered online communities with message boards, email, chat rooms and games, laying the foundation for today’s social platforms. It was followed by Bulletin Board Systems, […]
By Nick Hansen, writing for The American Bar Association “If you can see it coming, it’s not a crisis,” said Bruce Hennes, CEO of Hennes Communications, to audience members at his 2024 Bar Leadership Institute workshop “Speaking Out or Strategic Silence? Organizational Approaches to Issuing Public Statements.”Hennes, along with (now former) Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association […]
By Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications 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/X, Facebook and YouTube for leads. Whether your organization is immersed in crisis or dealing with a hot-button […]
By Seth Chalmers, writing for The Stanford Social Innovation Review… “Should we put out a statement?” If you’re a nonprofit communications professional, you’ve heard that question many times, often the day after some major news event. Since the October 7 massacres in Israel and subsequent war in Gaza, many nonprofits have struggled to decide whether […]
This article ran first in Crain’s Cleveland Business on December 19, 2024. By Bruce Hennes, CEO, Hennes Communications This article examines the crisis communications lessons from the tragic assassination of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, Brian Thompson. It critiques the company’s public statements and explores the broader ethical and reputational challenges facing UnitedHealthcare in light of this tragedy […]
In this post-election climate, the expectations placed upon corporations, as well as healthcare, education and social service organizations, are more complex than ever. Navigating societal issues, especially hot-button topics like gender, climate and racial discrimination, is no longer optional—it’s an expectation. This responsibility grows exponentially with the reelection of Donald Trump, as organizations may face […]
By Kim Markus, writing for PR News… In today’s fast-paced media environment, where misinformation quickly spreads, PR professionals face a critical challenge: how to ensure authenticity remains at the heart of campaigns. The trust built with audiences is fragile, and reclaiming it requires courage, transparency and a focus on storytelling that resonates. The release of the […]
