When Helene disconnected my part of North Carolina for weeks, my neighbors and I had to relearn old ways of knowing what was happening — and what wasn’t. The piece explores how hurricane disasters are often accompanied not just by physical devastation, but by breakdowns in information flow—“media blackouts”—that worsen the human toll. In many […]
First-in-Nation System Encourages Ohioans to See Something – then Say Something OR Send Something Ohio has launched Safeguard Ohio, the nation’s first AI-powered suspicious activity reporting app, streamlining how citizens share tips with law enforcement. By enabling anonymous submissions of photos, videos, and details in real time, the system enhances threat detection, improves investigative quality, […]
FEMA’s Ready Campaign has observed National Preparedness Month since 2004 to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies. The month is a great time to take small steps to make a big difference in being prepared. Preparedness Starts at Home, the 2025 theme, focuses on getting back to the essentials of preparedness. In addition to sharing the tips, messages […]
So far in 2025, Hennes Communications has worked with 30 school districts, schools and education organizations navigating crises ranging from sexual misconduct to labor disputes, social media backlash and book bans. And a new school year beckons. Schools have always been in the public eye and vulnerable to reputation-challenging problems. The primary mission is education. […]
For the third consecutive year, Hennes Communications has been named one of the top U.S. crisis communications firms by Chambers and Partners, the world’s leading independent legal research and rankings organization. Hennes Communications is one of only 20 communications consultancies in the United States included in the prestigious 2025 Chambers Crisis & Risk Management guide. […]
By Thom Weidlich for PRCG | Haggerty LLC A fatal fire at an assisted-living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, brought quick response, including communications, from many people and organizations. Unfortunately, the most disappointing response came from the company that runs the residence. The five-alarm fire broke out Sunday night at Gabriel House (pictured), an assisted-living facility with […]
In recent years, it seems nearly every PR firm now claims to offer crisis communications. If an agency already sells marketing plans, product launches, social media, branding, employee engagement, investor relations, and digital marketing — it’s all too easy to simply add “crisis communications” to the list, often without experienced professionals to back it up. […]
Introduction by Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications I was a proud Boy Scout in the 1960s. Growing up in Ohio near Camp Manatoc—once considered by many to be the second-best Boy Scout camp in the country, after Philmont—we learned how to hike, haul water, pitch tents in the dead of winter, practice gun safety, work as […]
Crisis communications is a sub-specialty of the public relations profession that is designed to protect and defend an individual, company, or organization facing a public challenge to its reputation. Crisis communications is aimed at raising awareness of a specific type of threat, the magnitude, outcomes, and specific behaviors to adopt to reduce the threat. – Wikipedia Over the last […]
From our colleague and good friend in Australia, Tony Jaques, Director of Issue Outcomes Pty Ltd… The financial impact of any crisis is high, and new research suggests it will only get higher. The Crisis 300 index, just released by reputation consultants SenateSHJ, tracks over 300 crises and reveals that share value plummets by an […]