COMMUNICATION IN TIMES OF CRISIS. Communication cycle in times of crisis Pre-crisisStart Maintenance Resolution Assessment Be prepared Make alliances

COMMUNICATION IN TIMES OF CRISIS

Communication cyclein times of crisis

Pre-crisis Start Maintenance Resolution Assessment

• Be prepared• Make alliances• Seek consensus for

applying the recommendations

• Try out your messages

• Recognize the event with empathy

• Explain the risk in simple terms

• Establish the credibility of the speaker

• Provide guidelines for implementation of the actions

• Obtain the decision-makers’ commitment to continue with the communication

• Help the public to understand their own risk

• Provide background information to those who need it

• Seek support for response and recovery plans

• Listen to the decision-makers and the audience for feedback and rectification

• Explain the emergency recommendations

• Improve risk-benefit decision-making

• Improve public responses through education

• Examine the problems and reinforce what worked well

• Persuade the public to support the public policy and the availability of resources

• Promote activities and capabilities

• Assess the communication plan

• Document the lessons learned

• Determine specific actions that improve the system or the crisis plan

Source: CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency + Risk Communication

• Communication during a crisis cannot be handled by mobilizing more people and materials. The communication itself will have to change.

• Risk communication in emergency and crisis situationshould take into account certain harmful conducts that appear during these events.

Role of risk communication in crisis and emergency situations


The response of the public health sector during a crisis should aim to reduce and prevent diseases, lesions, and deaths, and should try to get individuals and communities to return to their normal lives in the shortest possible time.

Response of the health sector

• Most individuals are able to act reasonably during an emergency.

• They may also exaggerate communicative responses, as well as adopting rudimentary, instinctive reasoning.

Human conduct during an emergency: What can communication do?


• If this is the first emergency of its type (man-made or natural), the communication challenges will be greater.

Stress and psychological manifestations during a crisis

Vicarious rehearsal Victimization Emotional-physical

NegationRefusal to take good

advice

StigmatizationSeparation from the

group

Denial and fear Irrational conduct

Withdrawal, hopelessness, abandonment

Paralysis Cognitive-interpersonal


How to communicate effectively in a crisis

• It is important to remember that your goal is not to over-assure the public. People need to be vigilant, although at the beginning they may be hyper-vigilant.

• It is recommended to give the good news in subordinate clauses, with the more alarming news in the first clause. For example: “It is too early to say that we are safe, although we have had no more eruptive processes for x days now.”


How to communicate effectively in a crisis (Continued)

• What leads to panic is not the bad news, but anything doubtful in the message received. Individuals feel panic when they cannot rely on what they are being told or when they feel abandoned in dangerous territory.

• When people are frightened, the worst thing is to pretend that they are not, and the next worst thing is to tell them not to be afraid.


• Even if the fear is completely unjustified, it is wrong to ignore it, criticize it, or make fun of it.

Admitting uncertainty is effective when the communicator expresses it honestly to the audience, using words like: “I really wish I could give a definitive answer to that.”

Admit uncertainty

Principles of risk communication and its

importance in the crisis phase

When they are the most effectiveCrisis phase

Pre-crisis

InitialMainte-nance

Resolu-tionPrinciples of risk communication

in a crisis

Do not try to calm the fear

Emphasize that there is a process being carried out

Do not over-assure

Admit uncertainty

Recognize the people’s dread

Express wishes

Give instructions to people

Recognize the problem as something that is shared

Give guidance in advance

Re-direct awkward questions such as “What would happen if . . .?”

Be a model, ask people more questions

Apologize whenever necessary


Relationship of the audience with the event


CRISIS

ActionMessages

Safety

Immediate action not requiredInterest in safety

and real situations

Vicarious rehearsalInterest in safety

and over-assurance

Elements of successful communication

Accuracy of the information

Empathy

+

Openness

Speed of delivery

Credibility

+

Trust

Successful communication=

Type of presentation

Purpose of the presentation Recommended method of organization

Persuasive Get the audience to accept ideas

Get the audience to act

Inductive pattern: teach specific examples or lines of reasoning that lead to general conclusions.

Problem-solution pattern : describe the problem in order to create a need and then offer a solution.

Criterion-application pattern : describe the criterion that is the most appropriate to the possible case. Then compare options and select the best solutions.

Informative Inform or teach the audience Deductive pattern: present the conclusion first and then explain the details.

Chronological pattern: Indicate how the events succeeded each other during a given period.

Increasing difficulty pattern: start with something that the audience knows, then add more complex concepts.

Progress report Inform or update knowledge Chronological pattern

Deductive pattern

Importance pattern: start with the most important findings and then go up or down in order of importance.

Preparing the main points in a presentation


Development of the message

Audience: Purpose of the message: Method of delivery:

Relationship with the event

Demography (age, language, education, culture)

Outrage levels (based on the risk principles)

Inform and update about the facts

Be ready for actionClarify the state of the

eventPoint out rumorsMeet the requirements

of the media

Print press releasesPost information in

InternetThrough spokespersons

(television or public appearances)

RadioOthers (prerecorded

messages, telephone messages)

Crisis phase and communication plan


• There is no second chance to correct what is done in the initial phase of the crisis.

• The communication plan is an information resource; it is the place where information should be found.

• The key to a reply is to have all the information on the topic as clearly set out as possible.

• Emergencies can occur outside working hours; learn to use the back doors of the scenario to arrive at the same time as the news editors.

Nine steps in crisis response


The crisis occurs

1

2

34

5

6

7

8

9

Verify thesituation

Conduct the notification

Do the assessment(activate the crisis plan)

Organize activities

Obtain information and acceptance

Give information to the media and the public

Obtain feedback and conduct crisis assessment

Conduct education of the

public

Monitor events

The communicator should be the first to speak, say the right thing, and have credibility


• The planning of crisis communication should be designed to manage the first 48 hours of the emergency. During that time the communication will be scrutinized by the media and the public.

• The communicator not only reads the statement: he is the statement.

• Every organization has its own identity, and the communicator should personify that identity.

The spokesperson: What should he or she know?


Inspire confidence and trust

• Be emphatic and show interest• Show competence and experience• Be honest and open• Show commitment and dedication

Recommendations

• Do not over-assure• Admit uncertainty• Express wishes (I wish I had an answer)• Explain the process• Recognize the people’s fear• Give instructions to the people• Look for more people (share the risk)

As a spokesperson

• Be familiar with the policies of your organization• Keep inside the framework of your responsibilities• Tell the truth, be transparent• Personify your agency’s identity

Consistent messages are vital

Be prepared to answer these questions

• Are my family and I safe?• What can I do to protect myself and my

family?• Who is in charge?• What can we expect?• Why did this happen?• Did they know this would happen?• Why wasn’t it prevented?• What else might happen?• How long have you been working in this?• What does this information mean?

Stick to the objective of your message

• “It is important to remember...”• “I can’t answer that question, but what I can

tell you is that ...”• “Before I forget, I want to tell you...”• “Let me put this in perspective...”

Be the first to inform, say the right thing, and

be credible

Work with the mass media


“To declare war on the media, though tempting, is a game you will never win”

Stratford P. Sherman

Documents

COMMUNICATION IN TIMES OF CRISIS. Communication cycle in times of crisis Pre-crisisStart Maintenance Resolution Assessment Be prepared Make alliances