This document provides guidelines for crisis communications for organizations. It recommends (1) developing communications strategies and scenario plans for worst case scenarios, (2) designating personnel to handle crisis communications, and (3) building media awareness at all levels of the organization. It also notes that crisis communications are important to manage panic, risk to lives, and damage to the organization or sector. Common sense guidelines include anticipating crises, acknowledging issues, articulating communications, doing the right thing transparently, engaging with media, understanding media reports, training personnel, and keeping partners informed. The media is not truly impartial and can shape public opinion, so regular interaction is important versus just reactive responses. In a crisis, an operations center should be

1. Crisis Communications Sanjana Hattotuwa Senior Researcher, Centre for Policy Alternatives

2. Preparing for the impossible Develop communications strategies Develop scenario planning with worst case scenarios Have designated personnel to handle crisis communications Build media awareness at all levels and operational frameworks of the organisation

3. Why crisis communications matters Current operational context in Sri Lanka NGO hostile media, government Panic exacerbates the problem, as does a lack of planning Lives may be at risk Fallout can affect entire sector

4. Common Sense Guidelines Anticipate Acknowledge Articulate & Communicate Do the right thing, and be seen to be doing it Be aggressive & open No “no comment” (gives the impression that you have something to hide)

5. Common Sense Guidelines Monitor media - esp. what’s important in your work (how it is reported, by whom, how often, qualitative as well as quantitative, ask around, read online as well as mainstream) Engage with journalists - but not with a view to buy them. Careful, honest discussion. Remember - off the record usually doesn’t work in SL! Media reports - CPA (PCI), FMM media reports, market research

6. Common Sense Guidelines Try to understand, then respond. No knee jerk reactions, no set pieces, no stock comments Train personnel - the media WILL get answers, make sure they are YOURS Brief partners and stakeholders, keep them in the loop as much as you can

7. Media: Friend or Foe? Neither - they are impartial, and have to be In reality, they are not impartial Media is intensely oppositional Media shapes public opinion - “terrorists”, “pariah”, “LTTE sympathiser”, “NGO crow”, “Dollar crow”, “unpatriotic”, “traitor” Regular interaction with media as opposed to response driven interactions - put situation reports, updates on work, personal reflections, positive human interest stories Engage! (and keep a record of all interactions…)

8. First 24 hours Create an operations centre - hotline, key personnel, equipment, access, lines of communication, trust and independence Understand the issue, recognise the positions - address the issue Gear up partners to respond, and encourage them to issue statements and activate their own PR, media strategies Keep in mind the vernacular media - translation vital, and needs to be accurate

9. First 24 hours Communicate: Core values (vision, mission) History Reputation (partnerships, collaboratives) The reasons behind the action (why it is important) Safeguards taken and due diligence measures Key message Admit any wrongdoing AND what measures will be taken for redress, within what time frame, and led by whom Contact details (tel / mobile / fax / email / webpage)

10. Do you respond at all? Will it blow over? Crisis vs. bad / negative publicity Respond accordingly - response based on media monitoring, consulting partners, and media / communications team within the organisation

11. More resources Voices of Reconciliation programme: Crisis Communications resources: http://voicesofpeace.lk/?q=en/node/366 Access to a Voice: Communications Planning for Civil Society and Community-Based Organisations , a comprehensive handbook on communications strategies for NGOs, CBOs and CSOs, can be found here - http://voicesofpeace.lk/?q=en/Accees New media - Groundviews - www.groundviews.lk (blogs) and VOR Radio - radio.voicesofpeace.lk (podcasts)

12. Thank you