CRISIS MANAGER
The Internet Newsletter about Crisis Management

"For Those Who Are Crisis Managers,
Whether They Want to be or Not"

ISSN:1528-3836
� 2017 Jonathan Bernstein

Oh Kathy...

Volume XVIII, Number 5

May 31, 2017

Just a Thought

"There are some wrongs you just can't right."

- Jonathan Bernstein

From the Editor

Hoo boy, Kathy Griffin...

Comedian Kathy Griffin is the latest celeb to land themselves in hot water after she posed for a photo shoot holding a bloodied Trump mask. Outrage flooded from those on both sides of the political divide, and Griffin - realizing her mistake - quickly delivered an apology. Now, comedians push the envelope and it gets them in trouble sometimes. It's part of the trade - the line between "too far" and pulling a big laugh from something uncomfortable can be dangerously thin. While this is the reality, it doesn't change the fact that making the wrong call can and does cost things like gigs and endorsements just as it can any paid performer.

So what's the right way to handle the hot mess Griffin's in? Short answer - she's doing it. A rapid apology was the start. Next, it's time to go away for a bit because nothing more will help besides giving it time. People are outraged now, but the reality of the situation is that nobody was harmed and no actual damage was done. Barring additional controversy being created by Griffin herself, the incident won't be in the public consciousness for very long.

- EB

Interested in reprinting BCM articles or blog posts?

We're happy to give permission for material to be reprinted in hard copy or online!

If you find something you would like to reprint, simply submit a request to jonathan@bernsteincrisismanagement.com.

Blogs

The Bernstein Crisis Management blog, along with our blog at the Free Management Library, are frequently updated and filled with case studies, advice, and the latest news on techniques, threats, and more.

Here, we share a look at some of the most popular posts from recent weeks:

Airlines have been under the microscope for the last couple months for any number of reasons. In United Gets its Act Together we break down the complete 180 done after initial backlash to poor handling of the customer dragging incident.

Language influences not only how you communicate, but how you see the world. Dive further into this topic kicked off by a quote from Federico Fellini in Crisis Management Quotables...on a Different Vision.

Tech writer Rick Delgado's 5 Essential Cyber Security Strategies You Need to Know is full of valuable tips and insight, especially in light of the 45,000 ransomware attacks that happened May 12.

A huge part of communicating effectively in a crisis is gaining the trust of your audience, but did you realize using some platforms to speak out might actually hurt your credibility? Why You Need to Care About Who Americans Trust.

Were you fooled by the viral story about a Popeye's manager "arrested for dipping chicken in cocaine"? "Prank" News Story Goes Viral - Why you need to fact-check before sharing investigates how even blatantly fake news can be spread around as truth.

Do you have a topic you'd like to see featured in our blogs? Send an email to erik@bernsteincrisismanagement.com and there's a good chance you'll be seeing it right here in the next issue!

Business Announcements

(aka blatant self-promotion)

What if you could quickly find out how your stakeholders perceive you during a breaking crisis?

Bernstein Crisis Management now uses online surveys and other tools to get immediate stakeholder perception feedback, during a breaking crisis, with the option of continuing to monitor perception post-crisis.

More info from jonathan@bernsteincrisismanagement.com.

Are There Any Holes in Your Crisis Planning?

Your organization may well have crisis prevention and response-related plans in place - but are you sure they're going to cover all the bases? Bernstein Crisis Management's Crisis Document Audit is a low-cost, flat-rate service which will quickly provide you with a comprehensive analysis of your existing plans and recommendations for improvement.

Contact jonathan@bernsteincrisismanagement.com for more information.

We're Giving Away Keeping the Wolves at Bay and other crisis publications!

Keeping the Wolves at Bay, the widely used media-training manual published by Jonathan Bernstein, is available for free, as well as other useful publications.

To visit the download page, click here.

Social Media Crisis Training

A solid social media manager has quickly become a must-have for organizations of any size, and can make an immense difference by driving in customers and building your positive reputation online.

The problem is, the vast majority are simply not equipped to even identify building crises, much less take the steps necessary to cope with and mitigate the damage that can result.

That's where we come in.

Bernstein Crisis Management is now offering crisis management training for social media managers, both independent and in-house, as well as social media firms.

For an overview of our services, estimates, or more information, contact erik@bernsteincrisismanagement.com

About Us

Jonathan Bernstein is both publisher of Crisis Manager and president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., a national crisis management public relations agency providing 24/7 access to crisis response professionals. The agency engages in the full spectrum of crisis management services: crisis prevention, response, planning & training. He has been in the public relations field since 1982, following five-year stints in both military intelligence and investigative reporting.

Write to Jonathan at:

jonathan@bernsteincrisismanagement.com.

Erik Bernstein is vice president of Bernstein Crisis Management, and editor of this newsletter. Working in crisis management since 2009, Erik has watched the internet and social media change the field. Today, he brings that experience to bear assisting clients to protect and grow their reputations using tactics based on real-world knowledge and experience.

Write to Erik at:

erik@bernsteincrisismanagement.com.

Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. is located at 700 S. Myrtle Ave., #404, Monrovia, CA 91016. Telephone: (626) 825-3838.

Legal Disclaimer (aka the small print)

All information contained herein is obtained by Jonathan Bernstein from sources believed by Jonathan Bernstein to be accurate and reliable.

Because of the possibility of human and mechanical error as well as other factors, neither Jonathan Bernstein nor Bernstein Crisis Management is responsible for any errors or omissions. All information is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Bernstein Crisis Management and Jonathan Bernstein make no representations and disclaim all express, implied, and statutory warranties of any kind to the user and/or any third party including, without limitation, warranties as to accuracy, timeliness, completeness, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose.

Unless due to willful tortuous misconduct or gross negligence, Jonathan Bernstein and Bernstein Crisis Management shall have no liability in tort, contract, or otherwise (and as permitted by law, product liability), to the user and/or any third party.

Under no circumstance shall Bernstein Crisis Management or Jonathan Bernstein be liable to the user and/or any third party for any lost profits or lost opportunity, indirect, special, consequential, incidental, or punitive damages whatsoever, even if Bernstein Crisis Management or Jonathan Bernstein has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

A service of this newsletter is to provide news summaries and/or snippets to readers. In such instances articles and/or snippets will be reprinted as they are received from the originating party or as they are displayed on the originating website or in the original article. As we do not write the news, we merely point readers to it, under no circumstance shall Bernstein Crisis Management or Jonathan Bernstein be liable to the user and/or any third party for any lost profits or lost opportunity, indirect, special, consequential, incidental, or punitive damages whatsoever due to the distribution of said news articles or snippets that lead readers to a full article on a news service's website, even if Bernstein Crisis Management or Jonathan Bernstein has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Authors of the original news story and their publications shall be exclusively held liable. Any corrections to news stories are not mandatory and shall be printed at the discretion of the list moderator after evaluation on a case-by-case basis.

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