9/11’s Lessons on Crisis Leadership
By Stanley McChrystal and Chris Fussell, writing in the March 24, 2020 edition of The New York Times: On Sept. 11, 2001, the job of every leader in the U.S. Special Operations community changed. In the ensuing years of fighting a highly complex, networked enemy, we redesigned how our organization communicated, shared information, made decisions […]
When It Comes to the Pandemic, Scared Is Good
Written by Peter Sandman, this was written at the request of the Sunday Times of London for its March 15, 2020 edition – but not published. Nearly every journalist who contacts me about the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic wants to talk about panic. I usually ask the reporter, “Do you know anyone personally who’s panicking?” The […]
How the Pandemic Will End
By Ed Yong, writing for The Atlantic: Three months ago, no one knew that SARS-CoV-2 existed. Now the virus has spread to almost every country, infecting at least 446,000 people whom we know about, and many more whom we do not. It has crashed economies and broken health-care systems, filled hospitals and emptied public spaces. […]
Coronavirus: Allaying Panic, Doctors Talking to Patients, Comparing COVID-19 to Seasonal Flu & Reaction to President Trump’s News Conference
Beyond the headlines and soundbites, the main effect from coronavirus seen thus far in the United States may be confusion. Who to believe. What to believe. And how best to prepare and think about this latest global threat right now. Here, we offer analysis and advice from the United States’ preeminent risk communication speakers and consultants, […]
Coronavirus/COVID-19: Implications for Commercial and Financial Contracts
The experts at Skadden weigh in on whether the epidemic constitutes force majuere as a legal basis for nonperformance under financial and commercial contracts. The outbreak of coronavirus (also known as COVID-19) is reportedly impacting global manufacturing, transportation and cross-border supply chains underpinning many aspects of international trade and commerce. Some companies are asserting that […]
As Coronavirus Spreads, Use Smart Communications to Spread Word on Your Plans
By Bruce Hennes, Hennes Communications New coronavirus headlines, tweets and Facebook posts are piling up by the moment: first U.S. death, new cases of unknown origin, updated travel advisories, outbreaks in new areas. This is how news of a virus spreads in the communications ecosystem in 2020, and it’s understandable if you’re wrestling with how […]