Tag: Crisis Communication

New crisis communication book offers theoretical foundation

~ penningink ~ Leave a comment

There are a lot of books on the market about crisis communication. As a public relations professor, I read a lot of them and I must say I am often disappointed.

Many crisis communication books dwell on handling the news media and don’t have a deeper perspective. Others are written by seasoned professionals and full of interesting anecdotes and even wise takeaways, but they lack a broader application beyond lessons learned from one professional’s context.

So I was happy to read “Breaking Bad News: 12 Essential Crisis Communication Tools” by Jeff Hahn, published in 2020.

The book has some examples of major crises faced by well-known brands and small enterprises. Such cases is fundamental. But what I love about the book is the solid roots in academically derived and tested models and theories.

Hahn starts the book by talking about the value of models (he could clarify how a model is distinct from a theory). He then discusses reputation and forming a rapid response team before getting into a sequence of chapters that outline crisis response on a timeline, from the first 15 minutes to what should be done in the 90-120 minutes after a crisis breaks. He ends with a chapter on restoring and earning reputation.

When I teach crisis communication, as with many other subjects, I like to blend theory and practice. So I certainly cover case studies. But I also want students to discuss them through the lens of and by applying relevant theories. Hahn covers a good number of them, including some of my favorites that I review in class. A partial list:

  • Festinger’s Cognitive Dissonance Model
  • Coomb’s Crisis Type Matrix
  • Benoit’s Image Repair Typology
  • Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation Model

Some people disregard theory as too abstract and impractical to be of use, particularly in a time of real crisis. But I always tell my students theory = strategy. This book is another example of that. PR professionals who read this book now and institute some of the wisdom into their own specific crisis communication plans will be well served, and better prepared. Ultimately, their reputations will not only survive but grow (there are some theories about that too).

New Book on Crisis Communications Offers Deep Practical Insights

~ penningink ~ 1 Comment

James Lukaszewski was kind enough to send me a copy of his new book “Lukaszewski on Crisis Communication: What Your CEO Needs to Know About Reputation and Crisis Management.” I was happy to receive it and having read it can strongly recommend it.

Lukaszewski is a seasoned PR consultant who has counseled CEOs of many major organizations. I remember that his workshops at national PRSA conferences are often standing-room only. He doesn’t disappoint with this book either.

In a nutshell, this book is a detailed, practical, how-to guide that would be a useful reference for any PR practitioner to have handy. The table of contents is indexed for quick access to specific crisis communications information. There is also a detailed glossary of terms. The 10 chapters are replete with bullet lists of considerations, specific tasks, and other overviews. But each chapter gets into management-level strategy and the philosophy behind them, as opposed to mere tactical advice. I also appreciate the emphasis on prevention and responsiveness to all stakeholders, which is consistent with the academic literature on the subject.

Here is a quick take on the most practical contents of the book:

  • a detailed outline of what should be included in a crisis plan;
  • savvy overview of how reporters ask questions to illicit emotional quotes, and how to respond;
  • sage advice and if, when, and how to hold crisis-related news conferences;
  • the important consideration of using and responding to social media in times of crisis;
  • a very thorough explication of the tactics of activist groups, and how to respond;
  • how to handle crises that involve litigation, with a refreshing downplay of attorney as spokesperson and crisis manager in favor of a professional with actual communications education.
The book could be useful for practitioners and as a companion textbook for classes on crisis communication. I know I may require or recommend it the next time I teach a graduate course in crisis communication as a companion to the academic theoretical works on crisis communications, such as “Ongoing Crisis Communications: Planning, Managing and Responding” by Timothy Coombs, noted for his development of the Situational Crisis Communications Theory (SCCT), “Crisis Communication: A Casebook Approach” by Kathleen Fearn-Banks, or “Crisis Communication: Theory and Practice” by Alan Zaremba.