Crisis communication: ignore conventional media at your peril

The role of social media in crisis and issues management is a very hot topic, and rightly so. Unless you monitor what’s being said about you online, an on-going issue can develop into a crisis almost before you’re aware of it. And without online channels to communicate in the immediate aftermath of a crisis your response can be far too slow.

The temptation therefore can be to view offline media as less important these days. Big mistake. There are two reasons for this: firstly, a credible and well known conventional media channel still has more weight than most online sources. Secondly, social media magnifies the power of conventional media by archiving press articles on Google, spreading bad news faster and further via the power of Twitter, and broadcasting TV interview nightmares on demand via Youtube. Tomorrow’s fish and chip paper is an obsolete concept.

So for the following organizations featured in today’s media, it’s important to have social media embedded within their crisis communication and issues management planning. But it’s essential not to do so at the cost of a robust conventional media relations strategy.

Noble Foods: egg producer; allegations of animal cruelty

Commonwealth Games: sports event; allegations that contaminated water in swimming pool is causing competitors to become ill

Swan Hellenic: cruise line; offensive comments made by company owner