Blogs and Crisis Communications
Crisis communications and blogs--has anyone in PR had to "break glass in case of an emergency" recently and implement a crisis communications plan for blogs? We did. While there's no such thing as a pre-developed plan that survives first contact with a given situation in one piece, ours served as a good and easily adaptable guide for the day.
Anyone else had to put into play a crisis plan for the blogs (or primarily the blogs?) We're curious about how that experience was (or wasn't) different from the "old rules" of mainstream media crisis communications.
Some questions that were raised after our experience:
* The old rules of crisis communications-how do they apply in the world of blogging, social media and instant communications?
* Do they still apply?
* Does having a good plan with talking points and assigned roles make sense?
* Should blogs be treated any differently than mainstream media? (can't wait for reaction to this one)
* How should companies and organizations monitor the media and blogosphere? What tools are available?
* What do you do (as a company) when a blogger 'calls you out?'
* When do you just shut up and monitor vs. when do you converse?
* If a company already has bloggers, should those bloggers be enlisted as part of the crisis plan?
* Does it make sense to 'blend' old-style crisis communications with your new media strategy?
Thanks to Dave for helping to develop these questions!