crisis management

     

 

CrisisCommunication.net,  LLC   415  E  52nd  Street,  Suite  3DA,  New  York,  NY  10022    USA  

Tel  (855)  4A-­‐CRISIS    |    (855)  422-­‐7474   [email protected]  

Vincent  T.  Covello,  PhD   Randall  N.  Hyer,  MD,  PhD  

  77  questions  most  frequently  asked  by  journalists  in  a  crisis    

1. What  is  your  name  and  title?   2. How  do  you  spell  and  

pronounce  your  name?   3. What  are  your  job  

responsibilities?   4. Can  you  tell  us  what  happened?  

Were  you  there?  How  do  you   know  what  you  are  telling  us?  

5. When  did  it  happen?   6. Where  did  it  happen?   7. Who  was  harmed?   8. How  many  people  were  

harmed?   9. Are  those  that  were  harmed  

getting  help?   10. How  are  those  who  were  

harmed  getting  help?   11. Is  the  situation  under  control?   12. How  certain  are  you  that  the  

situation  is  under  control?   13. Is  there  any  immediate  danger?   14. What  is  being  done  in  response  

to  what  happened?   15. Who  is  in  charge?   16. What  can  we  expect  next?   17. What  are  you  advising  people  

to  do?  What  can  people  do  to   protect  themselves  and  their   families  -­‐  now  and  in  the  future   -­‐  from  harm?  

18. How  long  will  it  be  before  the   situation  returns  to  normal?  

19. What  help  has  been  requested   or  offered  from  others?  

20. What  responses  have  you   received?  

21. Can  you  be  specific  about  the   types  of  harm  that  occurred?  

22. What  are  the  names,  ages  and   hometowns  of  those  that  were   harmed?  

23. Can  we  talk  to  them?   24. How  much  damage  occurred?   25. What  other  damage  may  have  

occurred?   26. How  certain  are  you  about  the  

damage?   27. How  much  damage  do  you  

expect?   28. What  are  you  doing  now?   29. Who  else  is  involved  in  the  

response?   30. Why  did  this  happen?   31. What  was  the  cause?   32. Did  you  have  any  forewarning  

that  this  might  happen?   33. Why  wasn't  this  prevented  

from  happening?  Could  this   have  been  avoided?  

34. How  could  this  have  been   avoided?  

35. What  else  can  go  wrong?   36. If  you  are  not  sure  of  the  cause,  

what  is  your  best  guess?   37. Who  caused  this  to  happen?   38. Who  is  to  blame?   39. Do  you  think  those  involved  

handled  the  situation  well   enough?  What  more  could  or   should  those  who  handled  the   situation  have  done?  

     

 

CrisisCommunication.net,  LLC   415  E  52nd  Street,  Suite  3DA,  New  York,  NY  10022    USA  

Tel  (855)  4A-­‐CRISIS    |    (855)  422-­‐7474   [email protected]  

Vincent  T.  Covello,  PhD   Randall  N.  Hyer,  MD,  PhD  

40. When  did  your  response  to  this   begin?  

41. When  were  you  notified  that   something  had  happened?  

42. Did  you  and  other   organizations  disclose   information  promptly?  Have   you  and  other  organizations   been  transparent?  

43. Who  is  conducting  the   investigation?  Will  the  outcome   be  reported  to  the  public?  

44. What  are  you  going  to  do  after   the  investigation?  

45. What  have  you  found  out  so   far?  

46. Why  was  more  not  done  to   prevent  this  from  happening?  

47. What  is  your  personal  opinion?   48. What  are  you  telling  your  own  

family?   49. Are  all  those  involved  in  

agreement?   50. Are  people  over-­‐reacting?   51. Which  laws  are  applicable?   52. Has  anyone  broken  the  law?   53. How  certain  are  you  about  

whether  laws  have  been   broken?  

54. Has  anyone  made  mistakes?   55. How  certain  are  you  that  

mistakes  have  not  been  made?   56. Have  you  told  us  everything  

you  know?   57. What  are  you  not  telling  us?   58. What  effects  will  this  have  on  

the  people  involved?  

59. What  precautionary  measures   were  taken?  

60. Do  you  accept  responsibility   for  what  happened?  

61. Has  this  ever  happened  before?   62. Can  this  happen  elsewhere?   63. What  is  the  worst-­‐case  

scenario?   64. What  lessons  were  learned?   65. Were  those  lessons  

implemented?  Are  they  being   implemented  now?  

66. What  can  be  done  now  to   prevent  this  from  happening   again?  What  steps  need  to  be   taken  to  avoid  a  similar  event?  

67. What  would  you  like  to  say  to   those  who  have  been  harmed   and  to  their    families?  

68. Is  there  any  continuing  danger?   69. Are  people  out  of  danger?  Are  

people  safe?   70. Will  there  be  inconvenience  to  

employees  or  to  the  public?   What  can  people  do  to  help?  

71. How  much  will  all  this  cost?   72. Are  you  able  and  willing  to  pay  

the  costs?   73. Who  else  will  pay  the  costs?   74. When  will  we  find  out  more?   75. What  steps  need  to  be  taken  to  

avoid  a  similar  event?  Have   these  steps  already  been   taken?  If  not,  why  not?  

76. Why  should  we  trust  you?   77. What  does  this  all  mean?