Four questions to ask before the CEO faces the media
There’s a principle of crisis management written on tablets of stone that says: “In a crisis, the chief executive must be your media spokesperson”. The principle has served many corporations well… but in other situations the tablet of stone is beginning to crack.
Putting the CEO forward as the face of the organization should not be a kneejerk reaction: it should be a well considered decision designed to help the organization communicate most effectively with its stakeholders and thereby protect its reputation.
Here are four questions to help you decide your spokesperson strategy.
CEOs can be highly effective spokespeople in a crisis and in some situations have been critical to preserving – and sometimes enhancing – the reputation of their companies under the most intense pressure. Others have simply made the crisis much more damaging. Consider your CEO as a potentially vital part of your crisis response team – but don’t automatically assume that he/she must face the media in all circumstances.
See Four questions to ask before the CEO faces the media, by Jonathan Hemus for Continuity Central.
