Running Head: CRISIS MANAGEMENT IN THE PUBLIC RELATIONS INDUSTRY 1

Crisis Management in the Public Relations Industry

Frances Milligan Tilley

T01103088

Arkansas Tech University

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Introduction

A public relations (PR) professional is responsible for providing a strategic

communication process that builds mutually beneficial relations between organizations and their

publics (Public Relations Society of American, 2017). How does one build this relationship? It

is through constant, strategic, two-way communication between the organization and its

stakeholders. PR is designed to have a positive impact by fostering relationships, gaining

support, and creating and maintaining a strong reputation, however, it can also have a negative

impact as well. How you handle bad situations matters a lot to your reputation. Think about

WatergateThe cover up was the primary media focus, not the crime.

Merriam-Websters Dictionary and Thesaurus defines reputation as the 1: overall quality

or character as seen or judged by people in general 2: place in public esteem or regard.

Regardless if you are an individual or a Fortune 500 company, your reputation is not something

that you can buy or own, it is something that is earned from your stakeholders. Obviously,

organizations want a stellar reputation with their customers, the public, and its employees in

order to deflect or minimize the effects of unforeseen challenges (Gable, 2008) that they must

publicly face.

Most people are unfamiliar with the importance of good PR until disaster strikes.

Whatever the situation, when an unpredictable event occurs, it is paramount for the organization

to put its best foot forward and handle the situation as effectively as possible. Often times, this

may be the publics first glimpse of the company and how well the situation is handled can vastly

effect the companys public image. That is why it is incredibly important for a public relations

professional to be well versed in crisis management.

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Literature Review

Organizations spend a great deal of money safeguarding records and other proprietary

information, however, very little is spent on contingency plans for operations or communicating

clearly and effectively with employees, customers, the media and the general public in the wake

of unforeseen disasters (Fineman PR Offers Crisis Management Checklist, November). Fineman

also states that although a lot is not within the companys control, they can have processes in

place for a predicted series of events. It is in the best interest of the organization to ensure that

they have a crisis management plan in place, dedicated spokespersons, and trained staff in order

to effectively navigate through these obstacles and communicate quickly and effectively to its

publics.

One of the worst things a company can do in a time of crisis, especially when handling

sensitive issues, is to release a no comment statement. Typically, these statements are viewed

as avoiding admission of guilt. When an organization takes this particular stance, they have

relinquished control of what story is told despite their innocence (Tanner, 2014). An experienced

PR professional should be able to issue a clear, honest but concise statement, to apprise its

stakeholders of the situation. This gives the perception that the organization is effectively

handling the situation and also provides some control over maintaining the information being

provided to the media outlets.

Another mistake that organizations tend to make is to not issue a statement at all. It is felt

that no news, is good news. This could not be any further from the truth. Today, instant social

communication is rampant and has become a universal expectation from customers, clients, and

the media. Social media enables crises and opinions to spread like wildfire (Magee, 2010). We

live in a very digital age, but again, this is an area where many organizations fall short when it
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comes to crisis management. Recommendations are to provide a social media statement within

moments of getting the immediate threat under control, then to follow with traditional forms,

such as a press conference or press release. The public relations industry has and continues to

evolve. Public relation specialists will need to embrace and adapt with the emerging

communications trends in order to continue to remain successful.

Conclusion

Professionals in the public relations industry are considered by some to be a jack of all

trades, with work in development, fundraising, marketing, communications, and in virtually

every type of industry in existence. Regardless of the type of work they may specialize in, their

number one responsibility is to build and maintain good relationships with their customers

through the organizations reputation and public image. With the evolution of the digital era we

live in, it is increasingly important for companies and organizations to have their best foot

forward, at all times. When a calamity occurs, it no longer takes days for the news to reach the

free world, it only takes a matter of moments.

With the speed of communication, it is critical for organizations to have a crisis

management plan in place in order to maintain a firm grasp on their reputation. Crisis

management, once considered only needed for large companies in highly populated areas, has

quickly grown to an absolutely essential part of any organizations framework. PR professionals

will now find that they are at the forefront of planning, preparing, communicating, and managing

crises. It is my opinion to be considered serious in the industry not only must you have at the

minimum a basic knowledge and understanding of the importance of crisis management, but you

need to possess the basic skill set to handle unforeseen circumstances. Otherwise, you are risking

not only your own professional reputation but the organization in which you work for as well.
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References

Fineman PR Offers Crisis Management Checklist. (November, 12 2001). PR Newswire.

Gable, T. (2008). Chapter 03: Image as a part of corporate strategy. Crisis Communication :

Practical PR Strategies for Reputation Management and Company Survival, 44-54.

London, United Kingdom: Kogan Page Ltd.

Magee, K. (2010, February 26). Five steps to better crisis management. PR Week, 24-26.

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary and Thesaurus. (2006, March 2). Springfield, Massachusetts:

Merriam-Webster, Inc. Retrieved from Cambridge Dictionary:

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/reputation

Public Relations Society of American. (2017, March 2). About Public Relations. Retrieved from

PRSA: https://apps.prsa.org/AboutPRSA/PublicRelationsDefined/#.WLjteBA-nBI

Tanner, J. (2014, September). Crisis Communication: How banks can avoid a PR nightmare.

Texas Banking, 103(9), pp. 8-11.

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