How to Create a Crisis
GoLocal, an online publication in Providence, Rhode Island, recently wrote an editorial critical of recent decisions by Rhode Island education officials. The editorial creatively lists everything those officials have been doing to create a crisis juxtaposed with tips for managing a crisis the right way, written by Northeastern University’s Graduate School. We urge you to […]
Media Training for Attorneys and Their Clients – Done on Your Schedule and at Your Convenience – In-Person or Remote
Whether it’s a staff meeting on Teams, a webinar on Zoom, a private conversation on FaceTime or a short training video you record on WebEx, it’s not just what you say, but how you say it. And if it’s an interview with a seasoned reporter, the stakes are even higher. You must be prepared to […]
New Partnership with Hennes Communications Allows Seminar Participants to Earn Credit Toward Ohio University Online Graduate Certificate
University Teams with Crisis Communications Expert Bruce Hennes in New Offering A new partnership between Ohio University’s Scripps College of Communication and Hennes Communications will allow communication professionals the opportunity to earn one credit hour towards a 12-hour graduate certificate in crisis communication. Anyone attending certain seminars taught by Hennes Communications, a crisis communications firm based in Cleveland, […]
Language: The Importance of Precision & Avoidance of Traps
Precision can be described as the quality, condition or fact of being exact and accurate. Precision is essential, precision is intricate, and precision is beautiful; more than anything else, precision is necessary. […]
Lawyers Should Not Rewrite Crisis Communications
Introduction by Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications Hennes Communications was founded in 1989 as a full-service public relations firm. In 2001, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, we became one of the few firms in North America focused exclusively on crisis management and crisis communications. Since then, we frequently work with attorneys, who tend to be the […]
Crafting the First Statement in Crisis Situations: What To Say and When to Say It
By Nora Jacobs, Hennes Communications For organizations responding to sudden, catastrophic crisis events, one of the most challenging decisions to make involves determining what to say and when to say it. Wait until all the facts have been gathered and you risk not being part of the critical first news cycle, which often sets […]
Hennes Communications CEO Named to Lawdragon Global 100 Leaders in Legal Strategy and Consulting and the Lawdragon Hall of Fame
Bruce Hennes, Chief Executive Officer of Hennes Communications, was again named to the 2022 Lawdragon Global 100 Leaders in Legal Strategy and Consulting, the definitive guide to the experts in management, marketing, communication and recruiting most valued by law firm leaders. Hennes Communications, founded in 1989 and located in Cleveland, Ohio, is one of the […]
The Skill Set That Got You Into the C-Suite Isn’t Necessarily the Skill Set You Need to Manage a Crisis
It’s a simple fact: Controversies today are tried in the Court of Public Opinion more often than the Court of Law. News now breaks first on social media, with traditional media sweeping Twitter, Facebook and YouTube for leads. Whether your organization is immersed in crisis or dealing with a hot-button issue, your news can quickly […]
Use Peacetime Wisely: Plan Now For What To Say And Do In A Crisis
By Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications Public officials, CEOs, executive directors and members of for-profit and non-profit boards have a responsibility to their stakeholders to plan for situations that will imperil life, limb and the ability of their organizations to fulfill their missions. In the immediate aftermath of a major incident, such as a mass shooting […]
7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Crisis Communications Firm
Crisis communications is a sub-specialty of the public relations profession that is designed to protect and defend an individual, company, or organization facing a public challenge to its reputation. Crisis communications is aimed at raising awareness of a specific type of threat, the magnitude, outcomes, and specific behaviors to adopt to reduce the threat. […]