A crisis is an event that occurs suddenly, often unexpectedly, and demands a quick response. A crisis interferes with normal routines and creates uncertainty and stress. A crisis can be a natural event, such as an earthquake or a hurricane, or it can be man-made, such as an explosion, a scandal, or a conflict. Ultimately, it can threaten the reputation of a top official and an organization. A well-managed crisis, however, can not only preserve reputations and credibility but can also enhance them.

The key to effective crisis communication is to be prepared before a crisis occurs. Once an emergency happens, there is little time to think much less to plan. Without a crisis plan, you can be overwhelmed by events.

"Good crisis communications is based on a system already in place," says former White House press secretary Marlin Fitzwater. "When there is a crisis, you just tighten it up and make it better. If you routinely had a daily press briefing, you would tighten it up and make it three times a day. A crisis is no time to design a new system."

In a crisis, the best course of action is to be forthcoming and honest and to do what it takes to facilitate stories. The media are going to write and air stories with or without your help. It's in your best interest to participate in a story — even a negative one — in order to have your position correctly represented. The alternative is for the media to write that a government official "would not respond to our inquiries," which only fuels suspicions and rumors.

"In a crisis, bring all the key players into a room and get the facts straight. Never tell more than you know, don't freelance what you think, and constantly update reporters," says Susan King, spokesperson at two federal departments during the Clinton administration. "Reporters have to get information, and if you don't give them anything, they will report rumors."

Before a Crisis

• Maintain trustworthy, credible relationships with the media all of the time. If you do, the media will be less suspicious and more cooperative in the midst of a crisis.
  
• Select someone to be the crisis manager.
  
• Have the crisis manager collect information on potentially troublesome issues and trends. Evaluate them, gather data on them, and develop communications strategies to prevent or redirect their course.
  
• Identify members of a possible crisis management team. Have in place their roles, actions to be taken, and possible scenarios. Have a list of their office, home, and cell or mobile phone numbers. Also have copies of their biographies. In a crisis, the press may want to know the backgrounds of those dealing with it.
  
• Give designated spokespersons training in dealing with the media.
  
• Determine the message, target, and media outlets that could be used in various crisis plans.
  
• Have a list of the office, home, and cell or mobile phone numbers and deadlines of reporters who might cover your organization in a crisis.
  
• Have a plan for setting up a media crisis center. This should cover such items as desks, chairs, phones, parking, electrical outlets, placement of satellite trucks, copy machines, even coffee. You also need to think about how to keep an office secure, particularly for your own staff.

During a Crisis

• When a crisis hits, immediately get the word to the press. Otherwise, the media will get their information through other means.
  
• Set up a 24-hour crisis and media center at a central place from which news is released, rumors dealt with, facts gathered, and briefings held.
  
• Immediately "go public" with a trained spokesperson at the scene to conduct press briefings. Let the media — and therefore the public — know that you are dealing with the situation.
  
• Say what you know and only what you know. Don't speculate. Don't be bullied into saying anything based on rumor. If you don't know something, admit it. Saying "the matter is under investigation" may be the best response.
  
• Gather information as quickly as possible. Determine the basic who, what, when, where and how. You might not get the "why" until later.
  
• Get the government or agency leader and other top management to the crisis center. Cancel other plans. People want to see the leader, not just the public affairs staff. Having top management in front of the press during a crisis lends credibility and shows that the organization is not treating the situation lightly.
  
• Inform your internal audiences — the staff and other government offices — at the same time you inform the press. If the press is the only source of information for the staff, morale can be damaged and employees can become confused and hurt, especially if the incident is reported inaccurately in the press. Because of where they work, the staff will be viewed as sources of information, and they can be the origin of leaks and rumors. Be sure they have it right.
  
• Communicate with your internal audiences by e-mail, if available, or through press releases and statements delivered to each office. If the staff is small enough, call a meeting at which members of the crisis team are available to answer staff questions.
  
• Maintain a calm, gracious, and helpful presence. Avoid appearing flustered or overwhelmed.
  
• Pre-empt negative publicity and communicate the actions being taken to solve the crisis. Verify news before releasing it.
  
• Arrange for media access to the scene of the crisis, if at all possible. TV wants pictures. If there are space constraints, use press pool reports, with a representative of each type of media — wire service, newspaper, TV, radio, magazine, and photography — at the scene, writing up a report and taking pictures for their colleagues. No one may use these reports, including those in the pool, until they have been distributed to everyone.
  
• Take care of the practical needs of the press, such as parking, phones, electrical outlets, desks, and chairs.
  
• Keep a log of reporters who have called, what they asked, their deadlines, what you promised, and to whom it was delegated.
  
• Always return phone calls. If you don't, reporters will look elsewhere for information. They will write a story with or without your help. Being nonresponsive takes control of a story away from you.
  
• Simple sympathetic gestures can help rebuild the public's confidence. Offer reassurance. Tell what actions are being taken to solve the problem, to help those affected, and to return things to normal. But first make sure you are doing what you say you are doing.
  
• Make sure the press spokesperson is involved with senior management in every decision and policy made. Every decision has a public ramification, whether management recognizes it or not.
  
• Avoid fixing blame. That can be done after an investigation.
  
• Appeal to third-party endorsements for your efforts. Get credible people who have been through similar experiences and command the public's attention to speak on your behalf.
  
• Update information frequently and regularly. Announce when your next update will be.
  
• Monitor media reports and correct errors immediately.
  
• Establish a Web site to inform people about the status of the situation. Put all news releases, statements, fact sheets, and links to other information on the site.
  
• Establish an assessment group to study the problem and to prevent future occurrences. This is not for show; they should have real power.
  
• Remember: openness and responsiveness during a crisis enhances your respect and credibility with the media. It can help you in the long run.

After a Crisis

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the crisis plan and how people responded.
  
• Correct problems so they don't happen again.