Mata kuliah
Tahun
: 00324 - CRISIS COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC
RELATION
: 2010
SCRISIS COMMUNICATION
Pertemuan 15 – 16
By: Dr. Drs. Dominikus Tulasi, MM.
Learning Objectives
 Understand where crisis communications
and the role of public relations
 List the key components of crisis
communications
 Understand the diversity of approaches
 Start to build your own communications using
public relations as effective tool
 Understand how public relations work in the
severe crisis communications
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CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
 What is Crisis?
“Situations characterized by surprised, high
threat to important values, and a short decision
time”; (Ole R. Holsti).
Thierry C. Pauchant & Ian J. Mitroff: “A disruption
that physically affects a system as a whole &
threatens its basic assumptions, its subjective
sense of self, its existential core”.
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CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
 What is Crisis?
“Crisis are forewarning situations that run the risk
of escalating in intensity, falling under close
media or government scrutiny, interesting with
normal operations, jeopardizing organizational
image and damaging a company’s bottom line.”
(Steven Fink).
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CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
 What is Crisis?
“A crisis is an extraordinary event or series of
events that adversely affects the integrity of the
product, the reputation or financial stability of the
organization; or the health or well-being of
employees, the community, or the public at large.”
(Pacific Telesis).
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HOW TO COMMUNICATE DURING A CRISIS (1)
 Set up a central information center.
 Provide a constant flow of information. When
information is withheld, the cover-up becomes
the story.
 Be familiar with media needs and deadlines.
 Be accessible.
 Monitor news coverage and telephone inquiries.
 Communicate with key publics.
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HOW TO COMMUNICATE DURING A
CRISIS
 Put the public first.
 Take responsibility. An organization should
take responsibility for solving the problem.
 Be honest. Don’t obscure facts and try
mislead the public.
 Never say, “No comment.” means that the
organization is guilty of wrongdoing.
 Designate a single spokesperson
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HOW ORGANIZATIONS RESPOND TO CRISIS
 Attack the accuser
 Denial. The organization explain that there is no
crisis.
 Excuse. The Organization minimizes
responsibility.
 Justification. Minimizing with a statement…
 Ingratiation. Actions are taken to appease the
publics involved.
 Corrective action. Steps are taken to repair and
to prevent repetition.
 Full apology. We must ask forgiveness.
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RISK COMMUNICATION
 VARIABLES AFFECT PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS:
(1) Risk voluntary taken to be accepted better than those
over which individuals have little or no control.
(2) The more complex a situation, the higher the
perception of risk.
(3) Familiarity breeds confidence. If the publics
understands the problem and its factors, it perceives
less risk.
(4) Perception of risk increases when the messages of
experts conflict.
(5) The severity of consequences affects risk
perceptions. There is a difference between having a
stomachache and getting cancer.
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RISK COMMUNICATION (1)
 (Suzanne Zoda)Suggestions to Communicators:
(1) Begin early and initiate a dialogue with publics that
might be affected.
(2) Actively solicit and identify people’s concerns.
(3) Recognize the public as a legitimate partner in the
process.
(4) Address issues of concern, even if they do not
directly pertain to the project.
(5) Anticipate and prepare for hostility.
(6) Understand the needs of the news media. Provide
accurate, timely information and respond promptly to
requests.
(7) Always be honest, even when it hurts.
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HOW TO USE THE INTERNET SOLVING A
CRISES
 The organization can use its website and extranet
to reach external stakeholders, send email
messages internally as well as externally, and use
the intranet for staff. The internet is relevant to
crises in tree ways:
(1) It can be used by pressure groups to oppose the
organization on an issue.
(2) Its use by third parties can trigger a crisis.
(3) It can be used to resolve a crisis
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FOUR STAGES OF INTERNET ATTACKS
 Typically, there are four stages of development:
1. Genuine personal experience—where the motivation
for the action is based on personal experience and
their decision to raise it in the public arena is personal.
2. A ‘triggered personal experience’ where the
motivation to register a view is partly influenced by
others.
3. Falsified postings. These are dangerous because an
individual can exploit the lack of verification of their
identity and of their claimed experience.
4. A skilful attacker can be almost sure that sustained
Stage 3 attacks will lead to stage 4; escalation into
prominent news websites and other media.
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FIVE OPTIONS IN INTERNET ATTACK:
1. Try to get retraction in the same media;
2. State the correct information on the organization’s
Website.
3. Use correct facts in a positive angle that the media
will report, and attempt to shrug off the previous
incorrect statements.
4. Place news paper advertisements correcting the
claims.
5. Telephone, meet with, send email messages and
write to key stakeholders to explain the real
position.
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FOUR STAGES OF INTERNET ATTACKS
 Typically, there are four stages of development:
1. Genuine personal experience—where the motivation
for the action is based on personal experience and
their decision to raise it in the public arena is personal.
2. A ‘triggered personal experience’ where the motivation
to register a view is partly influenced by others.
3. Falsified postings. These are dangerous because an
individual can exploit the lack of verification of their
identity and of their claimed experience.
4. A skilful attacker can be almost sure that sustained
Stage 3 attacks will lead to stage 4; escalation into
prominent news websites and other media.
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CRISIS COMMUNICATION MANUALS ON
INTRANETS:
 Intranet based crisis communication manuals can:
(1) be easily accessed and updated;
(2) Include detailed background information
cumbersome to maintain and update in hard copy;
(3) Include easily accessible databases and
comprehensive media and stakeholder email lists;
(4) Facilitate the rapid dissemination of media releases,
stakeholder updates or announcements by Webready electronic lists.
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USING THE INTERNET TO DEAL WITH A
CRISIS ARE:
(1) Place an internet action plan in the crisis communication
manual.
(2) Include an IT expert or Web specialist on the crisis
communication manual;
(3) Practice downloading and transferring documents,
photographs, video and audio onto the website;
(4) Prepare pro-forma documents for the rapid-response
Web pages ready to be completed during the crisis.
(5) Use the website to update the public and media by
posting statements, frequently-asked-question sheets.
(6) Maintain an email database of key media and
stakeholders so that information can be sent to them as
soon as possible.
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INCORPORATION ON EMERGENCY WEB
PAGES :
(1) A list of confirmed survivors and missing employees.
(2) Frequently updated organizational news about the status of the
recovery effort and other related information for employees.
(3) Contact information for your employee assistance program, health
insurance provider, message center and other corporate services.
(4) A web-based email from that enables employees to communicate with
management if they can’t access their employer’s internal email
system.
(5) A message board to facilitate communication among many people at
once.
(6) Information about alternative work sites or temporary offices.
(7) Links to external sites that may help employees, such as relief
organizations, local hospitals and government agencies.
(8) Information about any community relief efforts the employer itself is
undertaking, and links to organizations where employees can make
donations.
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Thank You
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