THE FIRST 24 HOURS: WHAT LEADERSHIP SHOULD DO WHEN A REPUTATION CRISIS BEGINS
THE FIRST 24 HOURS: WHAT LEADERSHIP SHOULD DO WHEN A REPUTATION CRISIS BEGINS
By Andrea Khoury | Founder & Principal, Khoury Public Relations & Media Group
Strategic Communications + Reputation Advisory | Serving Clients Nationwide
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Most organizations do not get to choose when a crisis begins. A reporter calls about an issue leadership did not know was public. An employee complaint appears online. A regulatory action becomes news. A lawsuit is filed. An executive makes a statement that gains unexpected attention.
A customer complaint begins circulating rapidly, or an operational issue suddenly becomes a reputational one.
The instinct in those moments is often to move immediately. Leadership wants a statement, employees want answers, reporters have deadlines and someone inevitably asks what should be posted on social media. Speed matters in crisis communications, but speed without accurate information and a clear strategy can create a second problem on top of the first.
The first 24 hours of a reputation crisis should therefore be focused on establishing control over the communications process. That does not mean controlling the story, which may be impossible. It means establishing the facts, identifying who needs information, creating clear decision-making authority and determining what the organization can responsibly communicate.
ESTABLISH THE FACTS BEFORE DEVELOPING THE MESSAGE
One of the most common mistakes in crisis communications is beginning with the statement rather than the facts. Leadership may know that something happened without yet understanding exactly what happened. Early information can be incomplete, contradictory or simply wrong. Employees may have different versions of events, public allegations may contain inaccuracies and reporters may be asking questions based on information the organization has not yet seen.
Before developing a substantive response, the communications team needs a reliable understanding of what is known, what remains unknown and what information can actually be verified. That distinction should also appear in the organization's messaging. There is nothing inherently wrong with acknowledging that facts are still being gathered. It is generally preferable to communicate accurately with limited information than to confidently provide details that later have to be withdrawn or corrected.
Credibility lost during the first hours of a crisis can be difficult to recover.
BUILD THE RIGHT CRISIS TEAM
A reputation crisis should not be managed through a chaotic group text or an email chain involving everyone in the organization. Leadership should quickly identify the people who actually need to be involved. Depending on the issue, that may include the CEO, communications counsel, general counsel or outside legal counsel, human resources, operations, security, regulatory specialists or other subject-matter experts.
The team should also establish who has authority to approve communications. If every sentence requires approval from ten people, the organization will struggle to respond when circumstances change quickly. At the same time, communications should not operate independently from legal, operational or executive leadership. The strongest crisis communications strategy comes from integrating those perspectives early.
IDENTIFY THE AUDIENCES BEFORE CHOOSING THE MESSAGE
Organizations often focus immediately on the media because reporters create visible pressure, but the media may not be the most important audience. Employees may need information before reading about the situation online. Customers may need reassurance about operations. Investors, business partners, regulators, elected officials or community leaders may require direct communication. In litigation or regulatory matters, legal counsel may determine that certain audiences require a carefully coordinated approach.
Different audiences may need different levels of information, but the underlying facts should remain consistent. A crisis communications plan should therefore identify who needs to hear from the organization, what each audience reasonably needs to know and which communications channel is appropriate.
DECIDE WHETHER A PUBLIC RESPONSE IS ACTUALLY NECESSARY
Not every reputation issue requires a public statement. Sometimes the organization is already at the center of significant coverage and silence would leave an important factual vacuum. In other situations, issuing a statement may transform a limited issue into a broader public story.
Leadership should evaluate the reach of the issue, the accuracy of the information circulating, the audiences affected and the likely consequences of engagement before responding publicly. A statement should have a purpose. It may correct misinformation, acknowledge a legitimate problem, communicate action being taken or provide necessary information to stakeholders. If leadership cannot identify what the statement is intended to accomplish, it may be worth reconsidering whether one is needed.
MONITOR WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING
The communications environment can change rapidly during the first day of a crisis. An issue that initially appears limited can expand across media outlets and social platforms, while another that feels enormous internally may attract relatively little external attention.
Effective reputation management requires monitoring not only the volume of attention but also the narratives gaining traction. What facts are being repeated? Which sources are influencing coverage? Are inaccuracies spreading? Are reporters asking the same questions? Is attention increasing or beginning to decline?
That intelligence should inform the response rather than allowing the organization to communicate based on assumptions about what people are saying.
DO NOT CREATE A SECOND CRISIS
Many reputation crises become significantly worse because of the response rather than the original event. An inaccurate statement, an unnecessarily defensive interview, an internal email that becomes public or a social media response written in frustration can become a new story.
Leadership should assume that anything distributed during a crisis could eventually become public and communicate accordingly. This does not mean communications should sound robotic or overly legalistic. It means every response should be accurate, deliberate and consistent with the organization's larger strategy.
The goal of the first 24 hours is not to make the problem disappear. It is to prevent avoidable communications mistakes while leadership determines what happened and what comes next.
THE FIRST 24 HOURS SET THE TONE
Organizations cannot control every headline, social media post or public reaction during a crisis. They can control how they make decisions. Establish the facts, build the right team, identify the audiences, determine whether engagement serves a purpose, monitor the environment and update the strategy as new information becomes available.
The strongest crisis response is rarely the loudest. It is the one that allows leadership to move from reaction to strategy while protecting credibility during a period of uncertainty.
ABOUT ANDREA KHOURY
Andrea Khoury is Founder & Principal of Khoury Public Relations & Media Group and a strategic communications and reputation advisor. She works directly with executives, companies, legal teams and organizations navigating crisis communications, reputation management, national media attention and other high-stakes communications matters.
Khoury Public Relations & Media Group provides strategic communications, crisis communications and reputation advisory services to clients nationwide.
For confidential communications inquiries:
By Andrea Khoury | Founder & Principal, Khoury Public Relations & Media Group
Strategic Communications + Reputation Advisory | Serving Clients Nationwide
[SEND AN EMAIL] | [CONNECT ON LINKEDIN] | [START A CONVERSATION]
By Andrea Khoury | Founder & Principal, Khoury Public Relations & Media Group
Strategic Communications + Reputation Advisory | Serving Clients Nationwide
[SEND AN EMAIL] | [CONNECT ON LINKEDIN] | [START A CONVERSATION]
Most organizations do not get to choose when a crisis begins. A reporter calls about an issue leadership did not know was public. An employee complaint appears online. A regulatory action becomes news. A lawsuit is filed. An executive makes a statement that gains unexpected attention.
A customer complaint begins circulating rapidly, or an operational issue suddenly becomes a reputational one.
The instinct in those moments is often to move immediately. Leadership wants a statement, employees want answers, reporters have deadlines and someone inevitably asks what should be posted on social media. Speed matters in crisis communications, but speed without accurate information and a clear strategy can create a second problem on top of the first.
The first 24 hours of a reputation crisis should therefore be focused on establishing control over the communications process. That does not mean controlling the story, which may be impossible. It means establishing the facts, identifying who needs information, creating clear decision-making authority and determining what the organization can responsibly communicate.
ESTABLISH THE FACTS BEFORE DEVELOPING THE MESSAGE
One of the most common mistakes in crisis communications is beginning with the statement rather than the facts. Leadership may know that something happened without yet understanding exactly what happened. Early information can be incomplete, contradictory or simply wrong. Employees may have different versions of events, public allegations may contain inaccuracies and reporters may be asking questions based on information the organization has not yet seen.
Before developing a substantive response, the communications team needs a reliable understanding of what is known, what remains unknown and what information can actually be verified. That distinction should also appear in the organization's messaging. There is nothing inherently wrong with acknowledging that facts are still being gathered. It is generally preferable to communicate accurately with limited information than to confidently provide details that later have to be withdrawn or corrected.
Credibility lost during the first hours of a crisis can be difficult to recover.
BUILD THE RIGHT CRISIS TEAM
A reputation crisis should not be managed through a chaotic group text or an email chain involving everyone in the organization. Leadership should quickly identify the people who actually need to be involved. Depending on the issue, that may include the CEO, communications counsel, general counsel or outside legal counsel, human resources, operations, security, regulatory specialists or other subject-matter experts.
The team should also establish who has authority to approve communications. If every sentence requires approval from ten people, the organization will struggle to respond when circumstances change quickly. At the same time, communications should not operate independently from legal, operational or executive leadership. The strongest crisis communications strategy comes from integrating those perspectives early.
IDENTIFY THE AUDIENCES BEFORE CHOOSING THE MESSAGE
Organizations often focus immediately on the media because reporters create visible pressure, but the media may not be the most important audience. Employees may need information before reading about the situation online. Customers may need reassurance about operations. Investors, business partners, regulators, elected officials or community leaders may require direct communication. In litigation or regulatory matters, legal counsel may determine that certain audiences require a carefully coordinated approach.
Different audiences may need different levels of information, but the underlying facts should remain consistent. A crisis communications plan should therefore identify who needs to hear from the organization, what each audience reasonably needs to know and which communications channel is appropriate.
DECIDE WHETHER A PUBLIC RESPONSE IS ACTUALLY NECESSARY
Not every reputation issue requires a public statement. Sometimes the organization is already at the center of significant coverage and silence would leave an important factual vacuum. In other situations, issuing a statement may transform a limited issue into a broader public story.
Leadership should evaluate the reach of the issue, the accuracy of the information circulating, the audiences affected and the likely consequences of engagement before responding publicly. A statement should have a purpose. It may correct misinformation, acknowledge a legitimate problem, communicate action being taken or provide necessary information to stakeholders. If leadership cannot identify what the statement is intended to accomplish, it may be worth reconsidering whether one is needed.
MONITOR WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING
The communications environment can change rapidly during the first day of a crisis. An issue that initially appears limited can expand across media outlets and social platforms, while another that feels enormous internally may attract relatively little external attention.
Effective reputation management requires monitoring not only the volume of attention but also the narratives gaining traction. What facts are being repeated? Which sources are influencing coverage? Are inaccuracies spreading? Are reporters asking the same questions? Is attention increasing or beginning to decline?
That intelligence should inform the response rather than allowing the organization to communicate based on assumptions about what people are saying.
DO NOT CREATE A SECOND CRISIS
Many reputation crises become significantly worse because of the response rather than the original event. An inaccurate statement, an unnecessarily defensive interview, an internal email that becomes public or a social media response written in frustration can become a new story.
Leadership should assume that anything distributed during a crisis could eventually become public and communicate accordingly. This does not mean communications should sound robotic or overly legalistic. It means every response should be accurate, deliberate and consistent with the organization's larger strategy.
The goal of the first 24 hours is not to make the problem disappear. It is to prevent avoidable communications mistakes while leadership determines what happened and what comes next.
THE FIRST 24 HOURS SET THE TONE
Organizations cannot control every headline, social media post or public reaction during a crisis. They can control how they make decisions. Establish the facts, build the right team, identify the audiences, determine whether engagement serves a purpose, monitor the environment and update the strategy as new information becomes available.
The strongest crisis response is rarely the loudest. It is the one that allows leadership to move from reaction to strategy while protecting credibility during a period of uncertainty.
ABOUT ANDREA KHOURY
Andrea Khoury is Founder & Principal of Khoury Public Relations & Media Group and a strategic communications and reputation advisor. She works directly with executives, companies, legal teams and organizations navigating crisis communications, reputation management, national media attention and other high-stakes communications matters.
Khoury Public Relations & Media Group provides strategic communications, crisis communications and reputation advisory services to clients nationwide.
For confidential communications inquiries:
By Andrea Khoury | Founder & Principal, Khoury Public Relations & Media Group
Strategic Communications + Reputation Advisory | Serving Clients Nationwide
[SEND AN EMAIL] | [CONNECT ON LINKEDIN] | [START A CONVERSATION]