Over the years, the Donovan Group has worked with hundreds of districts across the country on various crisis communications efforts, from the merely embarrassing to the truly tragic. In this session, Joe Donovan will discuss his process for assessing the need to communicate, relaying key information quickly and handling sensitive situations.

1. Crisis Communications: The Basics
Joe Donovan

2. Crisis Communications: The Basics
When it comes to communicating
during a crisis, the key is to first ask
the right questions.

3. Crisis Communications: The Basics
There is no definition of crisis.
Our focus today is on best practices to
address all types of crisis situations.

4. Crisis Communications: The Basics
In the first section, we will start with
a difficult question…
How to assess the need to
communicate during and after a
crisis.

5. Crisis Communications: The Basics
In the second section, I will explain
how I communicate critical
information after or during a crisis.
How to communicate key
information.

6. Crisis Communications: The Basics
In the third section, I will outline
some ways to deal with one of the
most challenging aspects of crisis
communications…
How to handle sensitive
situations.

7. Crisis Communications: The Basics
Most communications errors are
made because all of the knowable
facts are not assembled.
Write everything down with times.

8. Crisis Communications: The Basics
Get as many facts as quickly as
you can.
Get the who, what, where, when and
how. Be as specific as possible.

9. Crisis Communications: The Basics
Get help if you need it.

10. Assessing the need to communicate
I believe there is a “communication
hierarchy” that includes…
• The local police
• Involved parents
• Involved staff
• The school district’s attorney
• School board members
• Parents in the school
• Staff in the school
• Other district parents
• Other district staff
• Other community members
• The media
• The Department of Public Instruction
• Your key communicators network

11. Assessing the need to communicate
The critical questions…
•Who do we need to contact this minute?
•Who do we need to contact in the next ten minutes?
•Who do we need to contact in the next half hour?
•Who do we need to contact in the next hour?
•Who do we need to contact in the morning or later in the
day?
•Who do we need to contact in the next two days?

12. Assessing the need to communicate
But… What if no one will find out?

13. Assessing the need to communicate
Appropriately communicate more
than you need to.

14. Assessing the need to communicate
Who owns your news?
When it involves the authorities, the
answer is often: not you.

15. Assessing the need to communicate
Get to know your local chief of
police.

16. Assessing the need to communicate
Have a crisis call list.

17. Assessing the need to communicate
Practice responses to various
mock scenarios and first-tier
communications.

18. Assessing the need to communicate
Stress test your first-tier
communications.

19. Communicating key information
Line up your team.
If the situation is severe, designate
someone to be in charge of second-
tier communications.

20. Communicating key information
Create a public key-facts
document.
I find that it is often helpful to have a
simple fact sheet that is created with
all of the facts that were recorded
and communicated earlier.

21. Communicating key information
Restrict access to the building.
Keep the disruptions that come from
the crisis to a minimum. Do not
allow reporters into your school after
a crisis and do not allow them onto
your property.

22. Communicating key information
Counsel students and staff.
Inform staff and students that while
they have the right to speak with the
media, they also have a right to
refuse.

23. Communicating key information
Avoid “crisis paralysis” by
developing a key messages
document.
This document will form the basis of
all of your communications.

24. Communicating key information
Before communicating, consult
with your attorney and, if
appropriate, local authorities.
Stay connected with your team and
board members.

25. Communicating key information
Determine in advance who you
will connect with various
stakeholders in crisis situations.
Let them know your intentions.

26. Communicating key information
As soon as possible, begin writing
parent letters, website copy,
talking points and other
documents.

27. Communicating key information
Staff members are your largest
and most credible group of
spokespeople.
Keep them informed.

28. Communicating key information
You are more likely to get into
trouble by saying too little rather
than too much.

29. Communicating key information
When you feel like hiding from the
media is probably when you
should be speaking to them.

30. Communicating key information
You must own your district's media
coverage.

31. Communicating key information
• Always return media calls as soon
as possible
• Never, ever lie. Not even a little.
• More information is better than less
information.
• When providing information, always
provide context.
• There is nothing “off the record.”

32. Communicating key information
On the record that means
everything you say can be quoted.
On background means you are
providing information that can be
attributed to you, but you will not be
quoted directly.

33. Communicating key information
If necessary, schedule a news
conference.
A news conference can be used to
clear the air if there is a major crisis
situation.

34. Communicating key information
Monitor the news.
It is important to correct
misinformation, even if it is a minor
error.

35. Sensitive situations
There will be many times when
you cannot say all that you want
to say.

36. Sensitive situations
Well in advance of a crisis situation
and on a regular basis, tell your
champions that there will be
things that you can’t say
publically in the name of student
confidentiality.

37. Communicating key information
Rules of Crisis Communication
(1) Provide facts. Do not speculate.
(2) Stay on message.
(3) Communicate more than
necessary.
(4) Stay ahead of the story.
(5) Keep disruptions to a minimum.
(6) Take care of yourself.

38. Crisis Communications: The Basics
Joe Donovan