Perspectives from practice: going forward with crisis communications

Amanda Coleman

Bio: Amanda Coleman is a Member of ICPEM and a Crisis Communication Consultant.

After more than two decades in emergency and crisis communication, it feels as though we are now on a speeding train. For many years things were just chugging along with very little change and minimal developments to the approach, the channels, or the actions. 

Responders are now finding that the old ways are no longer appropriate, effective, or acceptable. Why is this? It is of course linked to the rapid development of communication not just social media, but artificial intelligence, and the way people use smartphones to record everything. But it is more than just the technology, there is a shifting mindset where trust is a fragile thing and the way people respond to risk and danger is changing.

Rather than running away from emergencies, people will grab their smartphones and start filming even if it puts them in danger. Telling people to stay away or not to share footage doesn’t work with many citing a lack of trust in authorities for the reason they want to be at the forefront of the response. We are no longer in a world where those in positions of authority are believed which is a huge concern when we issue emergency alerts and need people to act.

So, what does this mean for our crisis and emergency communication? Are there elements of the past that are still relevant?

The good news is that having crisis communication plans, exercising them and ensure the structure and approach can be implemented quickly is still important. We still need to do the preparation. The change has come in the content of those plans and how we build them to respond to not just one incident but multiple incidents and even non-incidents. 

There are five key changes that should have happened to existing crisis communication plans.

1. Understand what people think about the organisation before anything happens. Who trusts you? Who doesn’t trust you? What are the past events that have impacted on how they feel towards you? This should inform the approach to communication, which audiences are prioritised, what actions are needed, and how to respond to concerns.

   
   

2. Misinformation, disinformation and malinformation will happen with any crisis or emergency so consider how you will respond and what you will do before anything happens. It is not a case of if it will happen but when, and it is appearing faster than ever before. Organisations will know what problems and views are shared on a regular basis. This can inform the preparation and understanding of crisis communication. 

   
   

3. Develop an approach that is collaborative rather than controlling. Ensure it builds in an opportunity to listen to those who have been affected and to adjust the communication accordingly. It must be working with people not ‘doing’ communication to them. 

   
   

4. Consider emotion mapping and how you can build in a recognition of people’s mental and psychological as well as physical wellbeing when consider what is said and when it is said. 

   
   

5. All the communication needs to be adding value and supporting people. If you are not comfortable saying it directly to the people who are affected by the incident, then it is not the right thing to say. 

   
   

Many organisations are stuck in the old order and ways of communication. Very few crisis communication plans consider all the five points and then organisations wonder why things don’t work. In the UK, emergency services may respond quickly but then fail to move from broadcasting information to engaging with people and communities. 

Updating crisis communication plans needs to take place at least every six months as new channels are emerging and old ones disappearing. Social media influencers are becoming more relevant to responses than the mainstream, traditional media. Artificial intelligence is making people more desperate to have authentication and evidence not just basic facts. 

So, what are the non-incidents and why do they matter? With the ability to create videos and images using AI, we are seeing the creation of fictional events that appear realistic and can spark concern among those viewing it. The response needs to be as swift and comprehensive as if the incident were happening. Social media videos can have a million views in a few minutes, so speed of response is critical. Crisis communication plans and approaches can assist in responding to this new category of incidents. 

You can be sure that this speeding train is showing no signs of slowing down. Anyone working in crisis and emergency response and communication needs to be comfortable to get on board for the ride.