For many people, the immediacy of smartphone cameras and social media platforms on which to share photos, observations and opinions has transformed Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and more into go-to destinations whenever newsworthy events occur.
Now, employers must contend with a digital landscape that has the potential to negatively affect an organization’s image and message.
Although traditional outlets such as press releases, press conferences and media interviews remain communication mainstays, the public increasingly seeks information online via company websites, social media channels or blogs – at all hours.
“The clock starts at minute zero, really, and expectations today are extremely high,” said Melissa Agnes, an international crisis management speaker based in Toronto. “And it’s difficult. The longer we take to respond effectively to a situation, the more control over the narrative we lose. The more credibility and trust we risk losing with those who matter.”