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Social Media and Crisis Communication
February 2010 | Volume 8 Issue 2
During a crisis, every second counts. That’s especially true in the age of social media, when organizations are expected to get their crisis communications out faster than ever. In this issue of CW Bulletin, our experts explain how communicators can incorporate social media tools—like YouTube and Twitter—into their organization’s existing crisis communication plan, in ways that contain crises rather than help them spread.
Natasha Nicholson
Executive Editor
Amanda Aiello
Associate Editor |
Features
MANAGING A CRISIS
by Aliza Sherman
Clear and strategic communication is essential in managing a crisis, but where does social media fit into your crisis communication plan? There are several ways social media tools and tactics can become an integral part of your organization’s crisis management. Though they aren’t perfect, when used properly, social media tools can become a powerful addition to a well-organized crisis management strategy.
CRISIS PLAN
by Gerald Baron
Sure, if you hear one more time that social media has changed the world of PR and crisis communication, you might just lose it. It’s old news by now. But what does this mean for your day-to-day work? And how does it change your organization’s crisis plan?
IMPLEMENTING SOCIAL MEDIA
by Dan Hicks, ABC
If I know one thing to be true about social media and its use during a business crisis, it’s that most of what we know on the topic will be obsolete in 12–18 months. But there are still lessons we can learn from anecdotes, examples of trial-and-error and theory that provide a guide for how we can implement social media in our crisis communication.
CRISIS IN HAITI
by John Patella
Royal Caribbean cruise line is one of Haiti’s largest foreign investors. The company operates a private beach resort for cruise ship passengers on the country’s north coast, and is doing a great deal to help in the earthquake relief effort. But for several days after the 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti on 12 January, you wouldn’t have known any of that from the company’s home page, which featured only blue skies and good times as far as the eye could see.
Columns
No Jet Lag—Ever!
by Suzanne Salvo
Photo assignments require that Chris and I fly overseas to time zones that are 7–14 hours different from our home. Almost always, we walk off the plane and immediately go to work, without down time. We can do this because we do not suffer from jet lag—ever!
Exceptions to Time Management Rules
by R. Kamna Narain
As a busy communication professional and a life coach, I’ve studied tried-and-true time management practices. But no matter what the rule, I always come up with an exception for the world of communication.
Sound familiar? So how can a busy communicator manage her to-do list? We don’t have to change the rules—just adjust them.
- “The Sixth Annual 24 Hours of Booty,” My Team of Experts Inc.
- “10,000 Sleeping Bags for Pakistan,” Pristop d.o.o.
- “We Build Ships; Nothing Stands in Our Way: Northrop Grumman’s Katrina Response,” Northrop Grumman Corporation
Communication in the News
Related Resources provides additional articles and resources for understanding this month’s topic of social media and crisis communication. You can also find some of these links alongside each corresponding feature article for quick reference. Links include:
- “Entrepreneurs ‘Tweet’ Their Way Through Crises,” by Sarah E. Needleman
- “Incorporate Social Media into Your Crisis Management Plan,” by Aneta Hall
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This issue sponsored by:
The Northeastern University’s Fast-Track Master of Science in Corporate and Organizational Communication prepares graduates with the communication skills and global strategic perspective necessary to advance organizational performance.
This 12-month, 100% online program offers students the flexibility to maintain work and life commitments while experiencing an interactive learning environment within a cohort model, where peers share their passion for communication.
For more information visit our site. |
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