Wherever there’s a crisis you are bound to find the media, and simply dropping a curt “no comment” is not going to cut it. While good crisis management dictates that organizations push a statement out quickly, leaving a big of wiggle room can prevent future problems. The Get in Front Blog explains:
Anyone who is publishing content in Social Media, speaks with journalists, or writes press releases knows that there are words that can trap you with little or no way out.
They are: never, always, and definitely.
These three words can spell trouble because reporters and writers are trained to listen. They often take things literally. For example, you may say to a reporter, “Our family-run liquor store has never sold alcohol to anyone under the age of 21.” Most reporters spend their days digging for information, scanning the Internet, and asking a lot of questions to a variety of people. They are curious. They look for cracks in your story. They will find the old buried archive from 1971 when your dearly departed Grandpa sold beer to a 17-year-old who was killed in a car accident. And you said “never”.
Instead of using words like never, always or definitely, start to think in vague terms. Avoid the pitfall of painting yourself into a corner.
We often say that in the absence of communication, rumor and innuendo will fill the gap. Keeping early statements flexible grants the ability to both plug this hole and ensure that nobody is caught in an inadvertent lie.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/