Crisis Management: Restaurant Food Crisis – How one business tackled it: Crisis Response from the archives “The barbecue at the Barbecue Center in Lexington (NC) is now safe” the Davidson County Health Department said in late August. Let me add, “The Barbecue Center is an example of how to handle an outbreak of customer sickness.” While this […]
Crisis Management: Reporters aren’t the problem – You may be!: Understanding the media How often have you and your associates griped about reporters and the trouble they cause? Probably more than a few times. There’s something fundamentally American about criticizing the press. However,this harmless exercise can be dangerous if you are the target of a determined reporter. […]
Crisis Management: Reporters – Like Businesses – Have to Keep Their Noses Clean: Dealing with the press News item: During annual “Sunshine Week,” newspapers champion open and accessible government as essential to our democracy. While working as a reporter covering local government many years ago I called a town manager, who had become a friend, to see […]
Crisis Management: Reporters – How to Deal With A Troublesome Journalist: Crisis Response “Don’t pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel” is the timeless warning about arguing with newspaper reporters. A U.S. Government official reinforced that notion after she took responsibility for a multi-billion dollar budget affecting thousands. This friend, now retired, said I could tell her […]
Crisis Management: Preparing For a Critical Press Interview: Crisis Communications Now that you have a media interview impending, how do you prepare for it? The best way is to use the same approach you would for a crisis interview. Why a crisis? Simple. If you can talk to a reporter under the worst conditions, you can do […]
Crisis Management: Please! Don’t Hesitate When Your Reputation Is On The Line: The need for speed The expression on the employees’ faces was unmistakable. They were NOT glad to see me. My unexpected appearance at their new company made them uneasy. The president was only slightly more comfortable. He admitted that this was the first time in […]
Crisis Management: Pink Slime – What PR Bomb do you have ticking?: Crisis preparation Is a PR bomb ticking in the lap of your organization with no one taking action? Something like the pink slime flare-up, for instance? Think about this. You’ve heard of the beef industry nightmare over “lean finely textured beef,” a gooey conglomeration of […]
Crisis Management: Paris Hilton & Michael Jackson – Celebrity Crisis PR: Crisis communications Once upon a time, a reporter for STAR called to ask, “How would you advise Paris Hilton handle the controversy over the private sex tape of her that is widely available on the Internet?” The tabloid was preparing a story on how the party-hopping young blond […]
Crisis Management: Obama – Does His World Glad-Handing Work?: Crisis Leadership When President Obama smilingly shook the hand of oft-anti-American Venezuela President Hugo Chavez, opened travel to Cuba, and schmoozed other problematic world leaders recently, he pleased, puzzled or angered observers. I too wondered, “Why so many dicey communications across old fault lines?” Yet I sensed that […]
Crisis Management: New Crisis Lessons – Bad and Good: Crisis Response By now every leader realizes that she or he must know about managing a crisis in the public eye. For the rare unaware executive, we are blessed with four current enlightening real-world examples of how to do it right – and wrong. Let’s get wrong out […]