Everyone needs to be on the same page when it comes to crisis communication
It’s not always possible to limit crisis communications responsibilities to one person, which can create damaging situations if everyone isn’t on message. This was evidenced after White House staffers gave varied responses to questions regarding the current situation in Libya, described here in a quote from PR News Online blog post by editor Scott Van Camp:
“…this morning’s piece in The Wall Street Journal about the West’s talk of imposing a no-fly zone over Libya (to keep Gadhafi from killing protesters from the air) struck me as a huge communications snafu for the U.S. At one end of the spectrum you have Defense Secretary Gates criticizing “loose talk” about military intervention (playing it down) while testifying before Congress—while at the other end, Secretary of State Clinton has been supportive of a no-fly zone. That’s pretty contradictive stuff, coming from a couple of high-level officials. In the middle there’s Jay Carney, the new White House press secretary, who says the no-fly zone is being “actively considered.” Seems like everyone isn’t on point during this crisis. I wonder if this is a communications blip, or evidence of the Obama’s lack of foreign policy experience? In any case, if the White House is unsure of what to do about Libya, at least it should get its PR act together.”
Regardless of whether you are running a country or a business, ensuring that your representatives understand and can communicate your message should be a major priority. The alternative is to look scattered and weak – not exactly the image you want to project to the competition.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/