Rule # 1 of Crisis Communications: Show Empathy — Be Human. They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Going in front of the media during a crisis is a double-edged sword. On the one hand it affords the organization’s spokesperson a crucial opportunity to deliver the messages that have been developed and approved by the Crisis Response Team. On the other hand, going in front of the media during a crisis is a minefield. Any misstep made will be greatly magnified. That’s why media training is an essential aspect of crisis communication.
In this short video clip from the Crisis Coordinator Webinar Series, David Kalson discusses some of the barriers to successful crisis communication.