MANAGERS CORNER
Managing Crises in Today’s 24/7 Communications World By Scott Summerfield and Sheri Benninghoven, APR, Principals, SAE Communications
Special districts that embrace today’s rapidly changing communications environment and plan for difficult situations will increase public trust and confidence in agency decisions.
What issues are we most frequently facing today? Well, for starters: • Pandemic response shifts and public frustration • Year-round natural disasters with no "season" • Public Safety Power Shutoffs that wreak havoc • Cyberattacks that cripple operations • First Amendment “auditors” who seek embarrassing reactions from your staff • Elected officials commenting on social media with unverified information • Public Records Act requests designed to reveal embarrassing exchanges We’re also facing numerous crisis communications barriers, such as managing constant crises that drag organizations into tactics vs. strategy, less experienced
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reporters who have dramatically less knowledge of how public agencies operate, and troubling evidence that communicators aren’t at the table from the start of high-exposure issues. Understanding communication trends that are driving public agency responses can help you get ahead of tough situations: • We’re fighting for attention with countless other agencies and companies • Social media drives your story and can lead to viral misinformation that reduces your credibility • Mobile consumption is predominant – desktops are dead Public agency communicators were recently surveyed about their most efficient crisis communications tools. Top external channels included Facebook posts, agency websites, and news releases, followed by community emails and Twitter posts. Top internal resources included all-staff emails, followed by virtual or in-person all-staff meetings. Note that the ongoing work-from-home structure has clearly influenced internal communication. How should your agency prepare for a crisis of confidence or other emergency? California Special Districts • March-April 2022
