Crisis Management & Communication Flashcards
7 cards from real DRI practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Crisis Management & Communication flashcards as text
During a crisis, what is the PRIMARY purpose of a holding statement issued before full facts are known?
Answer: To acknowledge the situation and signal that the organization is responding
A holding statement acknowledges the event, expresses concern, and confirms a response is underway while details are still being gathered.
Which crisis communication principle states that the organization should be the first to report bad news about itself?
Answer: Steal thunder
The 'steal thunder' principle holds that self-disclosing bad news before it leaks externally reduces negative audience reactions and preserves credibility.
In the CERC (Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication) model, which phase involves providing consistent updates as the situation stabilizes?
Answer: Maintenance
The Maintenance phase of CERC focuses on sustaining public trust through regular, consistent updates while the situation is still ongoing but under control.
A spokesperson delivers technically accurate information during a press conference but uses jargon unfamiliar to the public. Which communication principle has been violated?
Answer: Audience appropriateness
Effective crisis communication must be tailored to the audience's knowledge level; technical jargon alienates the public and undermines understanding.
What does the term 'dark site' refer to in crisis communications planning?
Answer: A pre-built website activated only during a crisis
A dark site is a fully prepared but unpublished website that an organization activates immediately when a crisis occurs to provide timely public information.
Which framework describes crisis responses along a continuum from deny to accommodate based on the organization's responsibility level?
Answer: Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT)
SCCT, developed by Timothy Coombs, matches crisis response strategies to the level of organizational responsibility attributed by stakeholders.
During a prolonged crisis, rumor control is best achieved by:
Answer: Providing frequent, factual updates through trusted channels
Frequent, factual updates fill the information vacuum that rumors exploit, reducing their spread and credibility.