This Crisis Communication course provides a foundation to understand what will be expected should a crisis arise.

The training program guides participants toward a clearer understanding of the issues that could constitute a crisis, how the media will likely respond, and the urgent demands to engage with audiences.

Participants work through an actual crisis incident to determine next steps, ultimately creating a First-hour Response Checklist. This illustrates the importance of a clear plan for crisis management. We discuss the two biggest mistakes organizations make in a crisis and how to avoid them. The course includes a discussion of issues that arise during the critical first hours of a crisis and considerations in determining when and whom to contact at the onset of a crisis. The goal is to prepare participants to successfully deal with an incident and continue operations without unacceptable damage or loss. The course teaches participants how to know when they have an event that could damage the organization’s reputation or become a crisis. Participants learn how to anticipate the media’s behavior, use messages that will aide those affected by the crisis, and manage the victim dimension of the crisis. Participants learn how to organize and deliver a news conference, respond to difficult questions, damaging statements such as “no comment” and reach the resolution phase of crisis management.