How to Combat the Legal Response Syndrome
From our colleague in Australia, Tony Jaques, director of Issue Outcomes Pty Ltd… There’s a good reason why legal advice is important in crisis management. Because just about every crisis or potential crisis has a legal component. But at the same time just about no crisis or potential crisis is ever solely about legal matters. Failure to recognise that leads to […]
Why Should a Local School District or Independent/Parochial School Reach Out To a Crisis Communications Firm?
By Stephanie York, JD, Hennes Communications Q: Why should a local school district, an independent or parochial school reach out to a crisis communications firm? A: Quick – What’s the single highest priority for a superintendent, head or board president? It’s not education. It’s safety. And just one part of that safety net is making […]
Crisis Communication: 5 Steps for Damage Control
By Thom Fladung, Hennes Communications Attorney Andy Phillips, like many folks, looks back a bit wistfully at the “good old days.” “I wish it was back in the day where I could go home at 6 o’clock and sit down with the paper for a half hour,” says Phillips, whose practice at von Briesen & […]
Tough Calls: Is Your Loyalty to the Person, Office or Organization?
Editor’s Note: This piece originally ran in the February 2018 of our Crisis Management Today newsletter. We thought it worthwhile to run again. A frequent concern at Hennes Communications before and during the work we do for clients is to make certain we understand who our client actually is. In most situations, it’s an institution, […]
Police Response to Astroworld Tragedy Shows Importance of Timing, Risk Management
John Guilfoil writes… The Astroworld Tragedy is gut-wrenching. Media reporting about it, especially a New York Times story today, reminds us how important professional journalism is to finding the truth behind a major incident. In the story, a source tells the Times that Houston Police Chief Troy Finner shared concerns about crowd control directly with performer Travis […]
Consider the ‘Message Effect’ of Inviting a Consultant to Help Your Witness
From Ken Broda-Bahm, Ph.D., writing for The Persuasive Litigator… Arriving for the preparation meeting, the witness notices that there’s someone new in the room: a communications consultant. A non-lawyer visiting from out-of-town, the consultant is introduced by the lawyer as a specialist in legal communication and as someone who “is here to help us prepare […]
6 Crisis Management Lessons From the Florida Condo Collapse
From Devin Partida, writing for Worth… The tragic condominium collapse that occurred recently in Surfside, Fla., has shed light on the importance of crisis management. Identifying threats before they arise can be a challenge. Emergencies can be difficult, if not impossible, to anticipate, but how to respond to them can be thought out beforehand. Proper planning […]
The Media Revolution is ‘Iterative’ and Social: Experts Share How Not to Get Left Behind
From Bar Leader, a publication of the American Bar Association: “You’re all living in a media revolution,” said Thom Fladung, vice president of Hennes Communications. “And you don’t even know it.” Offering a window onto one aspect of that revolution, Bruce Hennes, president of the same crisis communications firm, said, “I don’t think there’s a reporter […]
Disney Attacks Scarlett Johansson Instead of the Facts
From Tom Weidlich and Eric Rose writing for PR News… Actor Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit against the Walt Disney Company is turning out to be a blockbuster. Yet, the company’s response is eliciting mostly thumbs-down reviews and providing an example of bad litigation communication. To its credit, Disney responded promptly and publicly. On the down side, […]
7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Crisis Communications Firm
By Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications This article first appeared in the National Law Journal 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, […]