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. […]
By Stephanie York, JD, Hennes Communications Quick – What’s the single highest priority for a superintendent, head of school or board president? It’s not education. It’s safety. And just one part of that safety net is making sure you have a pre-written crisis communications plan at your fingertips – or at least the phone number […]
There are scores of reasons why your district can be thrust into the news. Lawsuit…sports controversy…social media threats…active shooter… board-superintendent clash…criminal accusation…discrimination complaints…diversity issues…FERPA or HIPAA violation…fiscal mismanagement…protest… sexual misconduct…student newspaper story…challenging conversations… testing controversy…union grievance/strike… Suddenly, there’s a TV crew in the parking lot, your local newspaper is on Line One and the situation […]
From Lindsey Ellefson, writing for lifehacker… Uh-oh: You have to go to court. Whether you’re a plaintiff, defendant, lawyer, or witness, the results of your trial might depend, at least in part, on how you conduct yourself in that stress-inducing room. As anyone who’s been tuning into the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial knows, courtroom behavior […]
Introduction by Howard Fencl, Hennes Communications Whether it’s a staff meeting on Teams, a webinar on Zoom, a private conversation on FaceTime or a short training video you record on WebEx, it’s not just what you say, but how you say it. It goes without saying that as a presenter, you must rehearse your material until you have it […]
With no barriers to entry, every public relations firm in the U.S. – and many around the world – now appear to offer “crisis communications.” They don’t. At least, all of those who claim to don’t. Crisis work requires a different – and often counterintuitive – skill set from the traditional practice of public relations. […]
By Howard Fencl, Hennes Communications I was jolted back to the Stone Age by an attorney’s email on a thread batting back and forth a media statement I’d help craft in response to outrageous allegations in a frivolous lawsuit filed against our mutual client. The attorney’s reaction to the draft statement: “Litigators always advise ‘no […]
Maria Feeley, chief legal officer for Washington and Lee University, has seen her share of crises, at Washington & Lee as well as Rosemont College, the University of Hartford and Florida A&M, where she’s worked or served on boards. Think about whether you’d like to be faced with any of these: A social media firestorm […]
By Richard Tofel, writing in NiemanLab… Sometime early next month, I will formally retire from the practice of law after 26 years at the bar, including more than 21 years as a full- or part-time newsroom attorney.1 As I do this, I want to take stock of a few of the more important things I think […]
By Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications If you’ve ever attended one of our seminars on crisis communications, we often talk about the power of apology. Real apologies; apologies that are authentic and true; apologies without qualification or the use of “weasel words” (e.g. “mistakes were made”). Perhaps no industry does apology better AND worse than the […]