More than 120 public information officers from around the state came to the Cronkite School Friday to participate in the Arizona PIO Symposium, which focused on crisis communication.
Natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant meltdown served as the backdrop for this inaugural event, sponsored by Arizona Public Service utility.
The symposium was conceived in the hope that “the more that we can know and understand one another, the better emergency communications will be throughout the state in the face of a calamity,” said Dan Wool, a member of the APS organizing team.
The conference emphasized planning well in advance, conducting annual drills and constantly adapting plans for crises. The recent disasters were used as examples of what can occur without adequate planning and coordination.
“A clear sunny day plan will help you on your darkest day,” said Gerard Braud, an expert in crisis communication and president of Braud Communications.
Speakers also recommended proactive measures to mitigate or even prevent crises from occurring.
Clarity was another point as speakers advised PIOs to avoid ambiguity by using specific numbers instead of vague terms like “half” and to be forthright with the public in any circumstance.
“Don’t lie to get out of a bad situation,” said Steve Elliott, director of Cronkite News Service. “You should say what you know or what you don’t know.”
Speakers and panelists also addressed general principles of crisis response, treating audience members to GolanHarris Regional Managing Director Judy Johnson’s six R’s: rapid response, responsibility, regret, resolution, reform and restitution.
Worldwide Vice Chairman of Burson-Marsteller Karen Hughes’ five C’s – clarity, conviction, compassion, credibility and consistency – were also discussed.
The symposium put a spotlight on social media, explaining how younger people are more likely to use sites including Facebook and Twitter.
Speakers also warned of the inherent flaws of social media, such the short life-spans of some websites and how quickly false reports can spread, such as rumors of Gabrielle Giffords death in January 2011.
Recent Cronkite School graduate and Tempe Coalition assistant Cassidy Olson was torn on the subject of social media.
“It’s hard to believe that something new won’t be here in a couple of years to replace Twitter and Facebook,” Olson said. “In the meantime, I do find it really important that PR practitioners and PIOs don’t dismiss these tools as irrelevant.”
Contact the reporter at cmatera@asu.edu
