In·for·ma·tion /infərˈmāSHən/ noun: knowledge that you get about someone or something; the communication or receiving of knowledge or intelligence. Fact /fakt/ noun: something that actually exists; reality; a truth verifiable from experience or observation. A common thread running through our profession is that the simplest of concepts are often overlooked or taken for granted. That’s bad news for organizations responding to emergencies and crises, (but good […]
Author Archives: Paul Rhynard
The first post in our “Crisis Comms 101” series laid out the sucky outcomes of a poorly-managed crisis. The outcomes include long-term loss of credibility, confidence and, ultimately, the loss of support required to do what your organization does, whether it be a charity, a government agency or Fortune 500 company. In the posts that […]
As I’ve said many times before, “crisis happens” (bumper stickers are at the printers.) We can’t stop or even control it when it starts, but we can take steps to contain and mitigate the kind of long term impact that make crisis so dangerous. In previous “101” posts I wrote about recognizing, preparing for and […]
Coal miners used to take caged canaries into mine shafts to serve as primitive early warning systems in case the air became toxic. If the bird kicked over in its cage, the miners knew danger was in the air – literally. In this post, I’ll talk about an early warning system you can use to […]
It was projected to hit somewhere between Gulf Shores, Ala. and Houston – a stretch of about 500 miles. We wanted to be as close to the impact as possible before landfall, or it would be too late to do any good. Three teams were positioned at three locations throughout the Gulf region. My team set […]
The Crisis Communicator 