citizens turn to social media for their news. Leverage Social MediaĪccording to the Pew Research Center, 55% of U.S. Break up lengthy, complex information into brief, straightforward sections. Identify and present the most important points of a message first. When composing crisis communication, focus on desired outcomes, such as specific steps communities should take before, during, and after a crisis. Other ways to keep messaging clear and concise include: Focus on Desired Outcomes If they do, they may not act on the given advice and may even lose trust in emergency and crisis management officials. Identify a spokesperson the community trustsĪudiences should not have to struggle to understand communication during crises.Use easy to understand terminology and avoid technical jargon.Highlight the ‘need to know’ information.To that end, communications in times of crisis should adhere to the following best practices: That’s why emergency and crisis management officials must keep messages clear and concise. Trauma and fear may affect their ability to process and respond to what they read, see and hear. Keep Messaging Clear and Conciseĭuring crises, communities need information they can easily understand. Consider the following crisis communication strategies and practical advice. Strategies for Successful Crisis CommunicationĮmergency and crisis management experts can employ various strategies when communicating with communities. If crisis communication isn’t comprehensible and thorough, people may even wonder if authorities are intentionally withholding information. Without trust in emergency and crisis response officials and communications, the public is less likely to follow their advice or cooperate with response and recovery plans.Īfter a safety incident at a nuclear power plant, for instance, nearby communities need clear and accurate information about possible danger. The competent delivery of clear, timely information can build trust in emergency and crisis management leadership and alleviate people’s fear. Often, a crisis can cause communities to experience a loss of control leading to feeling vulnerable. If they don’t get that information quickly from emergency management, then misinformation may spread, leading to panic and avoidable exposure to danger. Additionally, once people have misconceptions about an emergency, dispelling them is hard.įor instance, if an active shooter threatens a shopping center, people need to know areas to avoid to stay safe and whether they need to evacuate or shelter in place. Otherwise, rumors can gain control of the narrative compromising the ability of emergency and crisis management officials. Counter Rumors and MisconceptionsĮmergency and crisis managers must provide factual information about a crisis as soon as possible. Compounding the problem, those who’ve stayed often don’t notify first responders, impeding the process of getting assistance. On the other hand, they might delay and wait too long to evacuate. Without it, they may rush to leave the area, causing traffic jams that actually slow down emergency management efforts. When a hurricane looms, for example, people need timely, clear information about when and if they need to evacuate. However, with the right information people can respond more appropriately. In other cases, people don’t act with enough urgency. If people feel they don’t know what’s going on or what will happen next, they may jump to conclusions about the risks and dangers of a situation. The public needs factual, clear information about the crisis, that tells them what to do and how to do it, and reassures them that help is on the way. Without timely, effective mass communication during crises, people may turn to unreliable or incomplete information. Large-scale crises can provoke fear, confusion and panic. The Role of Crisis Communication in Emergency Management Virginia Commonwealth University’s Online Master of Arts in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness equips graduates with the crisis communication skills they need to obtain and synthesize crisis related information into a comprehensible script and disseminate these critical messages to respective stakeholders. Crisis communication focuses on collecting, organizing, and disseminating information for the purpose of mitigating the impact of a crisis and helping communities recover. In an emergency, providing timely and factual information to key stakeholders can mean the difference between life and death, order and chaos.
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