Understanding A PR Crisis And Overcoming It What exactly is a PR crisis, and how do you know you are facing one? A PR crisis is when: – Anything that can negatively affect the organisation’s reputation – Anything that can cause a loss of trust – Any risk to the health, lives or safety of staff, clients, patients, stakeholders, etc. If you are facing any of the ones mentioned above, you are facing a PR crisis. Without a proper PR course, you might find yourself in dismay. So, what should be the next step? Should you be responding to the events happening or stay quiet and wait for it to pass? You can start by asking yourselves these questions: – Would people expect a responsible organisation to respond? – Would silence be seen as not caring or a sign of guilt? – Are others already framing the story?
If the answer to anyone of these questions is a yes, then you have a problem in your hands. Without proper training in PR, there will be confusion. However, the next step should not be “how to respond,” but “what is the appropriate response?” Several variables could affect your response to the crisis. However, your first minutes of response to the crisis will set the course and tone of everything that happens going forward.