Did we see the understatement of the year just as 2016 got moving?
The first weekend of the new year saw militia members occupying the headquarters of an Oregon wildlife preserve. In a reaction to federal prison sentences handed down to two Oregon ranchers convicted of committing arson against federal land, members of the militia came in heavily armed and quickly announced their intention to hold the area for “years”, using force if needed.
So how did ABC News share this information with its followers? Check it out…
We’re well aware of the issues that have arisen from over-reaction and over-reporting of incidents, but to use these terms to describe an armed takeover and occupation qualifies whoever authored ABC’s post for understatement of the year. Adding irony to the pile is ABC News’ tagline, “See the whole picture”, prominently displayed on Twitter. Although ABC was shredded by Twitter users the post remained unchanged, and in fact can still be found on the @ABC feed today.
Words are twisty little things, and there are any number of ways to present information. When it comes time for your own crisis management communications, make sure the message you’re putting out reflects the severity and nature of the situation you’re dealing with, along with actually saying what you intend it to, or your stakeholders will quickly take you to task.
The BCM Blogging Team
www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com