By 2028, a world-class Army that is a source of national pride

CIVIL-MILITARY OPERATIONS SCHOOL

CIVIL-MILITARY OPERATIONS REGIMENT (P), PHILIPPINE ARMY
Fort Andres Bonifacio, Metro Manila

CRISIS COMMUNICATION

―Perception is reality.‖ This is the mantra of every public affairs practitioner.

This keeps us up at night and drives us during our day-to-day operations. There isn’t
a thing that happens in our profession where public perception isn’t at the forefront of
our consciousness. We must understand that public perception is shaped by
individuals and the collective experience of those receiving the message. When
dealing with public issues, public perception will vary depending on the situation,
social environment and organization dealing with the situation.

In the military, crisis communication refers to any situation that has the
potential to threaten the relationship between the military and the media, or public.
As a public affairs leader, one of your main priorities is to maintain a positive
relationship with the public and the media. The media will report the issues. Make
sure you develop a positive relationship with the media to ensure the right messages
are getting out. The public will interpret the issues based on their perception. PAOs
need to anticipate crises by developing an awareness of which issues and situations
are potentially damaging. They should develop a plan on how to handle these
situations so they do not undermine your organization’s relationship with the
community.

Issues, Emergencies, and Crises

It is somewhat easier to look at the terms issue, emergency and crisis as

though they were on a sliding scale. A public affairs professional should understand
how on one side of the scale, an issue, which on the surface may seem to be a mere
nuisance which may agitate or incite a small but vocal crowd, can easily slide to the
opposite end of that scale where the long-term reputation or your unit is at stake.

Issue
An issue is a matter in dispute, meaning there are two or more conflicting
points of view on the subject. Most issues develop over time, and we generally see
them coming, giving us time to prepare. Finding a precise beginning or ending is
often very diffcult; some can remain ―out there‖ for a long time and then resurface.
Many issues are ongoing and well documented within an organization. Your
command will likely have a standard position on such issues, and you may answer
questions on such issues routinely at your office, although you generally should
make sure you’ve got the latest information and position.

Emergency

An emergency is a sudden, usually unexpected occurrence requiring prompt

action and communication. These are most often accidents or incidents -- crashes,
crimes, fires, riots, etc. Natural disasters, such as earthquakes or hurricanes, or a

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military response to an international situation may also constitute emergency

situations. Most have a well-defined starting time and date, unlike issues.
Features of an emergency that help you recognize them are:

 The event isn’t instantly brought under control.

 The impact on environment, public health and safety is increased beyond
moderate level.
 There is an impact on the organization’s reputation.
 There is involvement from a regulator, i.e. Congress, Inspector General,
higher headquarters.
 There is increased media coverage beyond local focus.
 Many resources are required from the organization.

Crisis

A crisis is a stage at which the reaction to an issue or incident determines the

future of a person or an organization. It is a major turning point in the life of an
organization, usually resulting in permanent and drastic change. This is the tough
part, recognizing the point at which you have a crisis. It may not sound difficult, but it
is, especially when there are many different points of view on an issue or incident.
You as the PAO must recognize the point at which an issue or incident has reached
the crisis stage.

 The difference between an emergency and a crisis is a crisis can have a

long standing effect on your command, whereas and emergency may not.
 Issues and emergencies can develop into a crisis though, depending on
public reaction and how the issue or emergency is handled.
 Crisis communication is defined as the process of managing the strategy,
messages, timing, and distribution channels necessary to communicate
effectively with the media, employees, core constituencies, clients, customers
and stakeholders.

Three Types of Crises

 Immediate: Because there is little or no time for planning with this type, an
immediate crisis is often the one practitioners fear the most.
 Emerging: These types of crises often develop from issues - in other
words, these situations may have simmered under the surface for a while.
 Sustained: Rumors are the culprits most often behind these types of
crises. As water cooler discussions gain traction and get reported to the media,
they often get beyond the control of PA.

Recognizing a Potential Crisis

Recognizing the difference between crises, emergencies and issues is

difficult, often leading to an escalation to crisis stage. By looking for the following
warning signs, you may be able to better predict when an issue is moving along that
scale we described earlier.

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 By 2028, a world-class Army that is a source of national pride

Is your organization’s reputation in danger? If this issue, incident or accident

threatens the credibility of your organization or the public’s confidence, it has the
potential to become a crisis.

Are many ―publics‖ or groups seeking information? Is this a single audience

issue? How much interest is there in this issue, incident or accident? The PAO is in
the best position to gauge this. Your telephone is the one that will be ringing, not the
commander’s. You need to advise the commander on the level of interest.

Seven common mistakes groups make when dealing with a crisis.

 Hesitation: A delay due to uncertainty of mind or fear. This often leads to our
audiences getting the perception we don’t care, are unprepared or incompetent.
 Obfuscation: To make so confused or opaque as to be difficult to perceive or
understand: ―A great effort was made…to obscure or obfuscate the truth.‖ In
other words, we create the perception of dishonesty and insensitivity.
 Retaliation: The act of retaliating; return of like for like; reprisal. In most crisis
situations, this only serves to intensify the surrounding emotion and tension.
 Prevarication or equivocation: To speak falsely or misleadingly; deliberately
misstate or create an incorrect impression; lie. Remember since your very first
class, we emphasized nothing replaces the truth.
 Pontification: To express opinions or judgments in a dogmatic way. This creates
vulnerability for the unit by taking a high-handed approach without dealing with
the actual issue.
 Confrontation: Discord or a clash of opinions and ideas. This gives others a
platform to stand on by keeping the issue alive and giving opponents more to
respond to.
 Litigation: To contest or engage in legal proceedings - this almost guarantees
greater visibility and could eliminate reasonable solutions.

Preparing for a Crisis

Crisis management is the function that aims to prevent a crisis from

happening. It refers to those prior actions taken before an issue, incident or accident
focuses attention and scrutiny on your command. Crisis management also involves
preparation and planning using the public affairs four-step problem solving process
(Research, Plan, Implement and Evaluate -- or RPIE).

1. Planning

Identify things that can go wrong and become highly visible; assess
vulnerabilities throughout the command.

After brainstorming the events and activities which have the potential to
happen within your unit’s scope, the crisis inventory uses a bar graph-style chart to
illustrate and weigh two important factors. The first is how likely is this event to occur
given the nature of your unit’s mission. The second factor is what impact the event
would have on public opinion relating to your organization and the potential for
negative media coverage.

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 By 2028, a world-class Army that is a source of national pride

Draft questions, answers, and resolutions for each potential crisis scenario.
Focus on the two most important tasks – what to do and what to say – during the first
critical hours following a crisis.

Develop a strategy using the four-step public affairs problem solving process
to contain and counteract, not react and respond.
Put your plan on paper.

2. Training

The second step is practicing that plan to ensure everyone knows what to do
if and when a crisis occurs. The PAO should ensure all operational exercises have a
communication component involved so operational functions have buy in and an
understanding of the crisis communication function. Also, remember that part of the
communication responsibilities is to make sure service members understand what is
going on during a crisis.

3. Review your plan

The emergency plan was probably written before you arrived at the command
- assume it’s out of date. You need to know the local media’s perception of your
shop’s performance during the last emergency. Use that information as a tool to
adjust procedures and correct problems. Make sure you coordinate your plan with
other staff sections.

PA Objectives in a Crisis

Your commander is going to look to you to provide solid, trusted counsel in

the event of accidents or incidents. You will have objectives you will want to manage,
and requirements which will aid you as you try to achieve those objectives.
There are three primary objectives PAOs should ensure their actions work toward.
These include:

 Retain public confidence in the military. You must work fast and
communicate your commander’s concern about the issue or incident. People
will form their opinion quickly based on the most immediate information they
have and it is tough to overcome these initial impressions.
 Preserve good media and community relations. Try not to burn any bridges.
Remember, be professional. You have to work with these folks long after the
crisis.
 Protect and promote the welfare of military people and their families.
Preserving your media relations sometimes conflicts with protecting military
families, particularly in the initial stages of an accident.

PA Roles and Responsibilities

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On the other hand, sometimes facilitating media interactions with the friends
and families of accident victims serves both parties well as media get their human
angle and interview subjects use the opportunity as a means of closure.

To achieve these objectives, there are requirements and basic actions that
PAs should do which can help ensure unit gets through the situation with minimal
impact on how our various audiences view us.

 Get the facts. Collect and format the information into news releases, likely
media questions and your proposed answers. While it may seem obvious, we
should know who is in charge, when things are happening quickly, this is often
overlooked. Make sure you know who is in charge and just as important.

 Get them straight. Check them with the commander who owns the accident.
First reports are almost always wrong.

 Get them to higher headquarters. Releases are not typically forwarded for
editing, and you don’t want to delay a release any longer than absolutely
needed. However, you MUST make sure your higher HQs has the same
information to put out, so it’s all the same, accurate information.

 Know who will speak on behalf of the organization. In nearly all cases, it should
a senior member of the leadership team. They often help soothe public fears
because they are seen as people who can effect change within an
organization.

 Anticipate the media will be there. By thinking like they do, you know what they
need to tell the story. Expect them and prepare (yourself and the commander)
for them. Don’t forget to monitor outlets as stories happen and events unfold.

 Treat media fairly. You’re not going to like every media representative that
may come to your installation to cover your crisis--but you must treat them all
fairly.

 Communicate with your internal audience. While we often emphasize getting

information out to the media, it is imperative not to forget to communicate with
your internal audience. They can be advocates and a solid line of defense for
your organization.

 Get it out. The credibility of your information is much higher when you give it
first. It’s much better to get the facts out than to try to correct misinformation.
Be cautious with this notion, however, because you should be looking at this in
the context of the first two points we just made - get the facts and get them
straight.
 Use your plan for using your website. Part of your planning process should be
inventorying the tools you have at your disposal and as you have learned in
many of your classes to this point, the Internet is a powerful tool.

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 By 2028, a world-class Army that is a source of national pride

 Release of names and other information was covered in the guidelines for
release class.

 Questions to Expect. How many people are affected? Who’s in charge?

Number and types of casualties? What’s happening now? Does it affect other
operations? Has this happened before? When? Is there a plan to handle this?
What are the steps? What’s the cost?

There are other immediate considerations, some unique because of the

nature of our business, when dealing with accidents and incidents that on the
surface seem to be common sense but are very easy to overlook. These include:

 Secure classified information. Ask for cooperation and keep media from the
scene. If media have already shot footage of classified materials, you should
coordinate with the news outlet to ensure the material is not broadcast.
Publishing known classified information is a crime.

 Release unclassified information. It’s what we’re there for.

 Provide media access to the scene. May be just allowing media to film scene
from safe distance or actually visiting the site, after the fact.

 Safety of news media representatives is a PAO responsibility, particularly on

base. Media representatives cannot waive this liability to get a good picture.
There are a number of hazards associated with accidents—ordnance, toxic
chemicals, fuels, etc.

 Security of the scene is important to the investigative process. Coordinate with

other officials such as police (civilian or military) and the on-scene commander
so that you fully understand the security concerns and can work effectively with
the media present to prevent security violations.

Restricting media access to a site because dead and injured are present may
not be possible, as other activities at the site may be essential to the story. However,
though it is not a crime to publish graphic images, PAOs must coordinate effectively
with media representatives to ensure that images of the dead and injured are not
distributed in a manner that violates propriety.

When your unit is facing a crisis, you will be one of the most important
members on the staff. Managing issues, having a plan in place and understanding
the anatomy of a crisis will make all the difference when the time comes. Your efforts
as the PAO can mitigate the long term affects of a crisis and, in many cases, prevent
issues and emergencies from becoming a crisis.

When a crisis does occur, the manner in which you respond will set the tone
for how your message will be received by the media and the public.

Anticipating and planning for a crisis before it occurs are crucial steps in
ensuring a quick and efficient response to a real crisis situation. Know beforehand
which issues and emergencies are likely to become crises. During a crisis,

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 By 2028, a world-class Army that is a source of national pride

communicate the facts and the steps being taken to handle the situation. A quick,
honest and credible response will create a positive impression of your organization.

Reference: Public Affairs Course Reference Material s2014

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