Tough Calls: Is Your Loyalty to the Person, Office or Organization?
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, organization or company – not necessarily the individual who hired us or signed the engagement letter. Many of our readers must make that […]
The White House Flouts the First Rule of Crisis Communications: Get the Facts Out Fast
From The New York Times: WASHINGTON — By the time the furor over a presidential aide accused of spousal abuse reached a second week, the White House account of what happened became less clear, not more. The contradictions were multiplying. The daily news briefing was filled with caveats. “I can only give you the best […]
Preparing for Allegations of Sexual Misconduct
By Nora Jacobs, Hennes Communications NOTE: While this article is aimed at school-related allegations of sexual misconduct, the lessons here are applicable to all market sectors. As we have seen on the national stage recently, there appears to be no statute of limitations when it comes to allegations of sexual misconduct. Thanks especially to the […]
The Art of the Public Apology
From Ashraf Rushdy: Just prior to his sentencing, former USA Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar formally apologized to the more than 160 women whom he’d sexually abused. He joins a growing list. Over the past few months, many public personalities accused of sexual assault have apologized in public. Many of us at this point are wondering what these apologies mean. Indeed, like […]
The Sex-Abuse Victims America Ignored
The Penn State – Joe Paterno situation immediately grabbed public attention. But it took way too long for the Michigan State University gymnastics scandal to capture the country’s attention. Here’s why. From Alex Putterman, writing for The Atlantic: It was an arresting moment, even on a day full of them. The Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman […]
These Women Are on Front Lines of Harassment Fight
As has been said many times by those in our business, you can’t communicate your way out of bad behavior. It’s also true that silence doesn’t fix things, either. From Meg Fry, writing for ROI: Sexual harassment. It is common, career-altering and currently celebrity-driven. And it is a serious workplace issue that three New Jersey […]
Could It Happen Here? Talking about Somebody Else’s Accident.
Last summer’s deadly Grenfell Tower fire gave risk management expert Peter Sandman cause to consider whether a tragedy in one place should give encouragement to owners and managers of similar facilities reason to proactively talk to their stakeholders about similar risks. Conventional wisdom usually leads most to avoid drawing comparisons – or any attention whatsoever […]
The Recent Tide of Apologies by Famous Men Has Been ‘Awful.’ Here’s What the Men Should Have Said.
From The Washington Post: The near-daily tide of sexual misconduct allegations against famous men has spawned a head-turning stream of apologies, acknowledgments that experts say have been generally self-serving and aimed at the public more than the victims. The apologies have often seemed obligatory, as the men offer excuses for their behavior or cast doubt […]
Lawyers Who Do Their Own Media Strategy Have a Fool for a Client
From our good friend, Gene Grabowski: A disturbing sidebar to the story about accusations that Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein engaged in decades of alleged sexual misconduct features the performance of his former lawyer, Lisa Bloom. Bloom, who resigned after clashing with the Weinstein Company’s board of directors, was recently exposed for presenting to the board […]
A Lawyer, C.I.A. Analyst and a Crisis Management Specialist Walk Into a Bar
By Bruce Hennes, Managing Partner, Hennes Communications, written for the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association Bar Journal: Before James Comey headed up the F.B.I., he served as general counsel of Lockheed Martin Corporation. While at Lockheed, he spoke at the National Security Agency about how studying law is similar to the education intelligence analysts receive. “You […]