Many organizations are still struggling with this old mindset of “we need to issue a press release in a crisis”. And yet, issuing a press release can actually hinder your crisis management success. Why? Tune in to this week’s #crisisready video to find out!
How are you going about changing this dated mindset within your organization?
Comment below or use the hashtag #crisisready on Twitter and let’s continue the conversation.
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Hi Melissa! This video created more questions than answers for me. We have always used press releases even though now they may seem old school in some cases. However, what our department does is on significant incidents we would post a press release both on our website and our social media site.
It seems that the media wants a press release as that is how they get their information. The reason we post the press release on our website and social sites is so that the public can see we are being transparent. This is how we handle regular business.
I can see us still posting a press release for a crisis but also using social to get our information out and to engage to with the community. It feels to me that using a press release and a social release – if you will, would be the best of both worlds. I am not feeling the death of the press release quite yet.
Bridget
Hi Bridget,
Here’s why you have more questions than answers: you’re not referring to a press release as a traditional “press release” that goes out on the wires. Instead, you house it on your website, which is exactly right.
However, I would just change the language from “press release” to “official response”, as an example. The term “press release” implies that the release will be brief, written in the third person, and lacking emotional appeal or impact. Instead, you certainly want to leverage your website (as well as social media and in-person or “live” communications with the media) to house your official responses to the crisis, but by dropping the “press release” mindset, those communications become even more informative, relationship-oriented and transparent.
Does this help with clarification?
It does help. But I also agree with Yvonne’s comment below. I think the best relationship for us is to always make sure that we reach out to our media along with social media. You can call it a press release or soften the name of it, but from working closely with the media, I believe they still want direct information from the source. The beauty of this is we can give them the information and they will broadcast it with their own slant and we can put it out on social media using our own words. In my opinion a clean cut press release has it’s place with the media. More direct and lengthy conversation fits well on social. I am still falling on the side of the benefits of both. 🙂
As a member of the media, who also has a post grad certificate in PR, I still think it’s important to reach out to local and traditional media as well as addressing the situation through social media. Many newsrooms have been drastically downsized and news people don’t have time to scan through reams of Twitter and FB messages to find accurate information. The thing to remember is it’s “social” media. As we hear so much about fake news, people need to know they can rely on vetted, accurate information from traditional media. This comes from a radio news reporter with more than 30 years experience who mostly works alone these days. I depend on getting the facts from ” the horses mouth” fist hand. Just saying.
Hi Yvonne,
Thank you for taking the time to leave your message, especially as a member of the media. Let me begin by saying that I don’t disagree with you at all. Social media is a way to disseminate information, but it’s equally important to house the whole of the information, with more context and “meat”, for both the media’s benefit to report on it, as well as to provide thorough updates to other stakeholders as well.
Just because the press release isn’t the most strategic tool to leverage anymore, doesn’t mean the same objective shouldn’t be met – and met even more thoroughly today.
My argument is that there are better ways to feed the media (and other stakeholders) an organization’s messages in a crisis, inspiring two-way dialogue and positioning the organization as the credible source of information for all stakeholder groups to continue coming back for new, confirmed information as it becomes available. The press release doesn’t cut it. It’s too one-sided, short and corporate.
Instead, and as I mentioned in the video, organizations should strategize a crisis communication home base that enables the same objectives, with better outcomes.
Thanks for the response Melissa. However, I feel press or news releases have a place as long as the contact listed on the release is actually available to respond, as candidly as the situation allows. A reporter needs concise info, so they can ask the questions that need to be asked. I understand the concept of a company “owning” the message, but that can be done through strategic answers. News people don’t have time to sort through a lot of information. They still need to know who, what, why, when and where and frankly I feel there is still and always will be, a place for the traditional news release. Meantime, your strategy may work for corporations and organizations, but it would never work for police, emergency services and most government agencies. I love your presentations. Keep up the good work!
It’s funny that you mentioned the difference between corporate and government organizations. Through the release of this video and the conversations that have ensued, I’ve realized that the public / government sectors have very different definitions of a press release than the corporate side does. I’ve been able to identify a blur in the definition and understanding of the different means of communications and their strategy of execution. Which is great!
You’ve made a strong statement with “it would never work for police, emergency services and most government agencies.” I’ve had great success with these agencies in taking a different-from-traditional approach. Remembering that the end goals have not changed, but they have intensified. It’s hard to say it all in comments and through short videos, but I have certainly enjoyed this conversation. Thank you!
I agree with all that you said about using your digital real estate to respond and tell the story during a crisis. The challenge for many organizations is that they haven’t taken the time to create a presence on Twitter or Facebook or whatever platform works for hem and end up making their first appearance during a challenging time when they haven’t created a community that will be, at the very least, familiar with who they are. So no matter your business it pays to invest a little time and effort in developing a presence on a couple of platforms so you’re: a) not trying to learn it when things are in crisis mode and b) you have a group of followers who are willing to advocate for you and share your news. We have successfully used our digital presence in two recent events to achieve that less stiff and more timely communication with the general public and media. We also used a news release once the crisis was over to recap what happened and detail the restart of our operations. (See responses to wildfires in 2015 and 2016 at http://www.cenovus.com) News releases or information updates or whatever you want to call them can still play a role in crisis communications.
Hi Reg,
Cenovus is a great example of an organization living a crisis-ready culture. The news release you published post-crisis, to announce the restart of your operations makes sense. That’s a good use of a press release, if you’re going to use one. It was your post-crisis communication. The communication strategy you executed at the onset and throughout the crisis was well designed and worked well.
And you’re correct, many organizations don’t put enough thought into their channels prior to experiencing a crisis, which hinders their capabilities, options and reach during a crisis.