February 2021 CRISIS INSIDER Insights, Strategies and Analyses for Brand Reputation Management

INSIDE THIS ISSUE The Risks and Data Behind Brands Taking a Stand 3

Navy Pier Improves Crisis Communication Stance 4

Exploring Steps to Repair Reputation After a Crisis 5

How Brand Filters May Lower Crisis Risk 5

Is it a Good Plan to Re-visit a Hostage Crisis? 7

Rep. Mary Miller: Crisis Averted on Capitol Hill? 8

HOT ZONE crisis forecast Boards Need to Ask Many Difficult Questions About Crisis Management This Year Evaluating

Most organizations have a crisis plan. A pandemic age, so many organizations Post-COVID-19 PRNEWS survey shows 62 percent of or- fail to address such a critical strategic ganizations have one. Not surprisingly, weakness. Vulnerabilities the survey also shows fewer than half Increasingly, it is boards of directors of those polled said their plan was up to that must take the lead in assuring that The extent of damage to health and oth- date. I’m not a mathematician, but that their organizations are well prepared for er areas that COVID-19 has caused will tells me that in reality, fewer than one- a crisis. This is appropriate and import- not be visible for some time. Yet, com- third of organizations are well prepared ant to directing management to take the panies and communicators need to be- for a crisis. It is disturbing that in this (Continued on page 2) gin preparing now for the new risks and realities of a weakened world emerging Buzz box from the pandemic. Personnel problems will get more Terms You Need to Know common and complex. The health, ra- Equity Compensation: Non-cash payments, such as options and stock, made to cial, economic and political upheaval of employees. Companies increasingly are requiring equity grants to mature before 2020 transpired largely during WFH. leaders can access them. It’s easier than clawing back compensation already in the When we finally come back together pockets of misbehaving CEOs. With 3,000 groups seeking $26 billion in opioid cases, there are bound to be new lines and some investor groups are urging drug makers to defer equity and other bonuses. elevated expectations discovered. Not everyone will manage those uncharted Travel Corridors: Crowded areas where coronavirus may spread. In a Feb. 5 letter waters well. Internal incidents around to the White House, two Boeing officials argued all travel corridors are problemat- these issues invariably are going to unfa- ic, not just those in airports. Why, then, was the CDC considering COVID-19 tests at vorably spill into the public view. airports only? Other travel officials were irked. Reuters saw the letter. CDC relent- Speaking of shifting societal standards, (Continued on page 2) prnewsonline.comed on tests. Still, never memorialize what you don’t want seen in the media. HOT ZONE (cont’d from p. 1)

actions needed to be crisis-ready. To thirds or more of crises that make the that end, there are several questions news are smoldering issues that could CRISIS that boards need to ask executives to have been prevented and mitigated be- hold them accountable for a lack of cri- fore they became full-blown crises. INSIDER sis planning and preparedness: uu Is there a clear chain of command Vol. 2 No. 2 uu Does the company culture support when a crisis strikes? honest, timely and transparent uu Do we have a crisis communication Editorial Director, Erika Bradbury, communication with stakeholders? plan that includes specific strate- [email protected] Can employees report a concern gies and messaging for all the po- without fear of retaliation? tential crises that are high proba- Editor, Seth Arenstein, If there is a ‘shoot the messenger’ cul- bility and/or high impact? Does the [email protected] ture, it may be difficult to uncover is- messaging incorporate care, com- Senior Content Manager, Sophie Maerowitz, sues that put organizations most at risk, passion and empathy? [email protected] including mismanagement, discrimina- uu Do we have the communication tion, cybersecurity, and other crises that infrastructure and technology to Senior Editor, Nicole Schuman, [email protected] can crush reputation and brand value. deliver relevant messaging quick- uu Do we have a robust risk-man- ly across all priority stakeholder Director, Marketing Production, Tracey Lilly agement function that continually groups, 24/7? scans the environment and assess- uu Have we identified spokespersons SVP, Marketing Group, Dan Hanover es risks as they emerge? Do we have and provided annual media train- Divisional President, Kerry Smith a risk-management committee that ing to sharpen their skills? meets regularly to discuss trends uu Do we have a crisis-management Chief Operating Officer, Heather Farley and changes in our risk profile? team? Do they meet at least quar- President & CEO, Don Pazour uu Do we have a comprehensive, up- terly? Do they know their roles in a dated crisis-management plan that crisis? Have they been trained on addresses operational and reputa- how to use crisis plans effectively? tional crises and business continu- This list provides a foundation for Group Subscriptions — ity/recovery? If yes, were the plans the crucial discussions that boards and [email protected] exercised in the past year? If no, executives should be having now. So, why not? Do the plans include sce- what are you waiting for? CI Additional Copies & Article Reprints — Contact Wright’s Media, 877-652-5295; nario-specific action steps? –Deb Hileman [email protected] Our research at the Institute for Cri- Deb Hileman, SCMP, is president and sis Management has shown that two- CEO, Institute for Crisis Management

crisis forecast (cont’d from p. 1) consumers will more closely scrutinize ed to a product or process, questions will businesses beyond the bottom line. be asked about why you did not do more. I have said the days of getting away Published monthly by Access Intelligence, LLC with a thin veneer of CSR programs are Trust Erosion and Crisis 9211 Corporate Blvd, 4th Floor done. Instead, we will see pressure for Rockville, MD 20850 Recent crises have eroded trust and con- ©2021 Access Intelligence LLC. executives and companies to regularly fidence. They are making businesses’ re- Federal copyright law prohibits unauthorized and robustly engage on a wide range of lations with communities and consum- reproduction by any means and imposes fines of national, and global, challenges. Those up to $150,000 for violations. ers less personal. Convenience and costs who do not will find themselves subject- are benefits in the short-term. But, when Client Services: ed to departing investors and clients. things go wrong, it will be much harder Phone: 888.707.5814 • to draw on the reservoirs of goodwill Fax: 301.309.3847 that come from real, regular contact. e-mail: [email protected] Health Issues Remain Health concerns will not end with So, even if engagement isn’t required New York Editorial Office: COVID-19. The significant support and to successfully deliver our products or 40 Wall Street, 50th floor safety measures some in the private services, we need to seek out more op- New York, NY 10005 sector have offered to protect employ- portunities to participate in non-digital Phone: 212.621.4890 • Fax: 212.621.4879 ees and customers will remain. discussions with clients and customers. In addition, there will be long-term Otherwise, in the absence of that per- sonal relationship, the price of recov- For subscribers only: full access medical issues for those infected with to Crisis Insider archives at the virus and many other ailments that ering from the next crisis will be much, www.prnewsonline.com went untreated during this time. Both much higher. CI constituencies will look to businesses -Brett Bruen to continue investing in a range of mea- Brett Bruen teaches crisis at Georgetown sures to create safer conditions. University and served as President Obama’s Anytime a health problem arises relat- director of global engagement. He is presi- dent of the Global Situation Room.

2 Crisis Insider | february 2021 prnewsonline.com DATA VAULT Is it Risky for Businesses to Take a Political Stand? The Jury is Out It’s almost an axiom to say companies must take social and political stands. Many observers argue it’s dangerous for companies of significant stature and their CEOs to remain silent on import- ant issues. Still, there are risks. When Nike supported Colin Kaeper- nick after he’d knelt during the national anthem, it assessed the risk its position could have on revenue. It calculated the risk was acceptable–the poten- tial sales lost, Nike figured, would be small enough to absorb. It turned out, of course, that Nike lost some business but overall sales spiked. The company’s base supported its stance. Speaking out when you possess Ni- ke’s coffers and reputation is one thing. What about small businesses? A Skynova survey of some 434 small-business owners (SBO) found two in threes felt there’s “too much pres- sure” on them to take political stances. Half of the politically conservative SBOs and 40 percent of liberal ones said they “regularly feel pressured to hide their political beliefs.” 194 SBOs said they were conserva- tive, 167 identified as liberal and 73 as Speaking Out: The top 17 issues ranked in order small business owners’ willingness to take a moderate. 194 respondents were fe- stand on them. Source: Skynova, September 2020, (434 small business owners) male, 238 respondents were male; 2 did not identify with either gender. One in four SBOs (29 percent conserva- Conservative SBOs were more willing to foster division (40 percent). tives, 23 percent liberals) said they’d taken to take a political stance for the sake of The chart shows the top issues SBOs overt political stances, the survey found. publicity, the survey found. Liberal SBOs said they were willing to speak about. The risk of a small business taking a more often took stances owing to pres- #BLM leads the list, though the support stand seems clear. 66 percent said their sure from employees and the public. from conservatives and liberals is un- political views could hurt business; 36 Note, though, that the survey polled a even. LGBTQ issues, free speech, climate percent said it could help business. decidedly young audience. The average change, healthcare, education, the econ- The study also notes that how a com- age was 38. Also, the survey was con- omy and police brutality follow closely. pany expresses its stance can make a ducted in September 2020, well before difference. Posting your viewpoint on the presidential election in November A Final Thought Facebook can attract attention, good and the violence of Jan. 6 in Washington, The Wall St Journal editorial page, known and bad, from people well outside your D.C., which resulted in numerous large for its conservative viewpoint, noted the target audience. Sending your custom- companies pulling or pausing donations low regard Republicans had for “the size ers an email advocating a political cause to political candidates. and influence of major corporations,” ac- is a gated approach. But back to the survey. No matter cording to the latest Gallup poll (31 per- Of the one in four who took overt their political affiliation, SBOs were cent, down from 57 percent in 2020). The stances, most did so via social posts (76 most likely to express their political be- culprit, the Journal says, is “many Fortune percent). They also employed company liefs because they felt a responsibility to 500 firms took” #BLM “as an opportunity policies to express their views (53 per- do so (56 percent), they felt it was their to pivot hard to the left.” cent), offered products that advocate a right (44 percent), and because their It continued, “The firms believe this is viewpoint (44 percent), made financial employees encouraged it (43 percent). good business...but everyone still gets contributions to causes (37 percent) On the other hand, SBOs were most one vote in elections, and the business and offered goods and services related likely to remain silent owing to fear of community may be making a mistake....” to their beliefs (22 percent). alienation (49 percent) and not wanting We’ll see. CI prnewsonline.com Crisis Insider | february 2021 3 CRISIS TOOLBOX Post-Incident Assessment Leads Navy Pier to Crisis-Communication App

Before the pandemic, July 4th always “This helped me assess which groups curity and operations team now has the meant crowds seeking summer fun and needed to be prioritized for communi- capability to send a message to each of celebration. Chicago’s Navy Pier is a cations, what level of communications us notifying us of the incident and ad- great example of a destination where they should receive and the frequency vising on a response. We utilized this tourists and residents can ride a Ferris of communication,” Patel says. during the COVID-19 closure and con- wheel, grab an ice cream cone or shop, This assessment led to Patel work- tinue to use it when we have important all while enjoying lake breezes with their ing closely with her COO and security/ information to share.” families. Patel’s received On July 4, 2019, positive feedback POWER LEGITIMACY though, a violent DORMANT DISCRETIONARY from Navy Pier External Partner DOMINANT Seasonal Employees partners since the incident involving Organizations Employees Union Workers Social Influencers a stabbing just out- Guests/Consumers Program Artists/Talent app’s launch. side the grounds, Donors “Partners appre- sounds of gunfire DEFINITIVE ciated being able and a stampede Board of Directors to receive updates C-suite Executives turned an other- Government Officials ATTRIBUTION THEORY in real time,” she wise festive day DANGEROUS DEPENDENT People naturally need to assign blame says. “During a cri- Impacted, Injured or Local Residents Shared crisis responsibility among into a crisis night- Disgruntled Guests Area Businesses stakeholders can help reduce crisis sis, we are moving Locals with Tourism Industry attribution mare. The incident Misconceptions so fast, and getting S T A K E H O L D R I N C M resulted in 14 in- TWO-WAY SYMMETRICAL a prepared email jured guests and DEMANDING MODEL statement out to News Media Make an effort to understand and damage to busi- On-site Business Partners/Tenants our stakeholder cooperate with stakeholders nesses. Can help identify opportunities for groups can take collaboration and shared responsibility URGENCY some time—and The aftermath they may not even Payal Patel, communications director be checking their for Navy Pier, led a post-incident assess- operations team to identify solutions to email in those moments. Being able ment to identify communication issues mitigate future risks. It also led to a Pier- to send important communications in- during the crisis. wide internal communications plan and stantly and directly to their phones has She conducted interviews with dis- training program. The training includ- proved to be very helpful.” gruntled internal stakeholders, who of- ed a crisis simulation, as well as a new fered insight on where to improve crisis piece of technology to provide more Moving Ahead messaging and response. thorough messaging. Patel sees the app evolving for more The Pier acquired a third-party app to seamless two-way communication pur- Information in Real-Time communicate with business owners on poses. Stakeholders agreed that real-time in- its property. It tweaked the app with the “The only limitation is that [users] do formation-sharing presented the big- tool’s developer. not have the ability to communicate gest issue. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, Patel back to the sender,” she says. “So, for “With more than 70 businesses was unable to carry out all the training, now, we typically include the phone housed at Navy Pier, we have a lot of but she was able to test the new com- number for our security office, if they stakeholders,” Patel says. “We didn’t munication app. have any questions or concerns.” have an effective way of communicating Moving forward, she says, “I would what was happening” to businesses as One-Way Crisis Communication like to introduce more two-way com- the crisis was unfolding. “The app allows a set of stakeholders munications practices to ensure we are “So, as you can imagine, business to send communications of high impor- hearing everyone’s concerns, in addi- owners had no idea what was going on tance out to individuals in the event of tion to sharing important information or how to handle the crisis.” an emergency or crisis; the communica- from our end to mitigate risks that may Patel compiled these insights during tion would be sent as both a text mes- stem from disgruntled stakeholders.” an analysis that used the Stakeholder sage and an e-mail,” she says. She adds, “Stakeholder participation Salience Model (see image). “Subscribers must provide their cell and buy-in is also key prior to a crisis The model organizes stakeholders phone numbers and preferred email as shared crisis responsibility among and segments them into three main address. Our authorized subscribers stakeholders can help reduce crisis at- categories based on power, legitimacy currently include Navy Pier’s entire ad- tribution.” CI and urgency. These were broken down ministrative staff and the management -Nicole Schuman further by the challenges each group teams of all of our partners across the Nicole Schuman is Senior Editor at presented. Pier. So, should a crisis unfold, our se- Crisis Insider and PRNEWS

4 Crisis Insider | february 2021 prnewsonline.com crisis dialogue Restoring Reputation Includes Taking Several Steps Before The Crisis Began Editor’s Note: This month our dialogue centers on rebuilding reputation after a crisis. Our participants are Lisa Nickerson, CEO, founder, Nickerson and Montieth Illingworth, CEO, global managing partner, Montieth & Company. Crisis Insider: What tips do you rec- commission. Companies that get into a deal with whatever occurred. ommend for reputation recovery? crisis, there’s something in either their Now, if you do that, then going for- compliance or their culture, and every- ward that’s more than half the battle. Montieth Illingworth: First, when you thing in between. It could be the busi- Also central to regaining reputation come out of a crisis, you really have to ness partner they just got involved with, is being able to convey to your internal put in the time and they might not have known and didn’t stakeholders that you learned some- effort to figure out do due diligence. thing. And if changes were needed, that what went wrong. Ultimately, it all rolls into tone from you made the changes. And why. That the top…it comes from the leadership. doesn’t necessarily Any company that has a crisis, look at the Lisa Nickerson: I’d like to back up. It de- have to be [done in top and you can probably come up with pends on where your baseline is. It’s like Montieth public], but the effort Illingworth the answer for what can be done better something I say often: ‘Don’t get ready. has to be put into it. CEO/Global in terms of how top management, be- Be ready.’ Does the company have a There are sins of Managing Partner ginning with the CEO, models the kinds strong reputation to begin with…in the Montieth & omission and sins of Company of behaviors and...actions necessary to (Continued on page 6)

WATERCOOLER

Using Brand Filters Can Prepare Leadership for Difficult Moments and Keep Corporate Values Top of Mind

This month’s reader question asks scribe your company?’ By playing the long game, a leader about how crisis communicators han- is able to better connect how what they say and do today dle situations when senior leaders get will impact the future success of their company. into trouble. The respondent is Lauren Keeping the CEO’s core values top of mind, the commu- Reed, CEO of Nashville-based REED nicator helps define three to five filters that will serve as a Public Relations. Reed advises proac- litmus test for all communication. tive measures to avoid future issues. Lauren Reed Here is an example of a brand filter that one CEO set CEO Please send your questions to: saren- Reed Public during the pandemic: “We took care of our employees to [email protected] for inclusion in Relations the best of our ability. We were fair, humane and kind, future editions. and we acted with compassion. “ By reflecting on this statement before company-wide Question: How should you handle media and internal meetings and correspondences during a very difficult inquiries when the CEO or other leaders become in- time for the company, the CEO was able to maintain per- volved in narratives that don’t align with the brand? spective and avoid the risk of using careless words during What do you recommend when an incident occurs a stressful moment [that would have] damaged long-term outside the work environment? For example, a promi- success and reputation. nent figure goes on a racist rant or is involved in an in- cident that’s not directly related to the organization, After the Fact but the public associates that figure with the organi- Whatever the situation and level of the employee involved zation? in an incident, it is critical to reflect on the organization’s core values. When a company representative, C-level Lauren Reed: It’s most impactful to take CEOs through a or not, makes a statement that is not aligned with the brand filter exercise at the beginning of an engagement. mission and core values of the company, consequences Work with the C-level to set three or four brand filters should apply. that must be considered in all communications, especial- A company can begin to rebuild its reputation not by ly when on the fly or in a heated moment. The CEOs are making excuses for a crisis or those involved in it, but by highly involved in this process, and the brand filters typi- correcting issues that led to the incident and continuing cally are in their words, which helpw with buy-in. to live out core values while being direct and upfront with To do this, the communicator asks: ‘Five years from audiences. CI now, how do you want each of your stakeholders to de-

prnewsonline.com Crisis Insider | february 2021 5 crisis dialogue (cont’d from p. 5) community and with ing, whether it’s good news, promising about how the crisis occurred and, as the media? news, improvements. Montieth said, the pieces you’ve put Think about ex- into place to ensure it doesn’t happen ecutives who have CI: Do you agree, Montieth, staying again. And then you move on to some- dodged the media out front is the way to go? And how thing else. except for when they should the spokesperson handle in- The mistake is ignoring the question… want it, that’s not re- Lisa Nickerson evitable questions about the crisis because then the reporter will come CEO & Founder lationship-building. Nickerson that just ended? back and ask again. It becomes a game. So, if it’s a com- pany that’s been forward-thinking and Illingworth: If it’s a high-profile brand, Illingworth: What happens, and it’s not thoughtful with the media all along, our you have no choice. You have to be a very generous thing to say, but com- response is not as [much trouble] on out there. But it has to be carefully cal- panies think they can ‘game’ it. the communicator’s side. ibrated. You want to move forward, not They think, ‘If just make this little You respond and work with media to backward. Tell [media] where there’s change or I just acknowledge only this change the message. If [the company progress being made. part of it, then I’ll be safer.’ And that rare- had a bad reputation prior to the crisis], Of course, it’s not always going to be a ly works…it doesn’t necessarily build your work is ten-fold. productive conversation because some- new confidence in the management times the media is going to want to do of the brand…It makes them seem like Tone from the Top the archaeology about the crisis. they want the crisis to go away and they I also like what Montieth said about ‘tone want to be recognized for having dealt from the top.’ That’s another super-im- A Different View with it, but they’re really not changing. portant piece. There are times when It also depends on the crisis. If it’s legal leadership can come out arrogantly or or regulatory, that’s very different. And CI: How do you see some companies’ defensively. [Think of] the importance when the crisis is about an individual, reaction to the violence of Jan. 6? of being empathetic at times and be- it’s also different. ing clear and accurate. Having the right We had a situation where we advised Illingworth: It’s what I call ‘The New person and the right tone is important. a board about a sexual harassment case. Fearlessness.’ How fearless do organiza- Sometimes it’s not the CEO. The board was divided. Everyone under tions need to be about not speaking out Also recognize that our tone as com- 40 had one opinion; everyone over 40 about politics? But also about speaking municators is important when talking had a different opinion...In that case, we out on something as important as [Jan. to media…sometimes it’s the communi- advised that the person retire. Stay out 6]…We’re in totally new territory on cators who might have an arrogant atti- of the media. Don’t answer questions this…they have to determine how fear- tude or who might not be responsive. if you can help it, just get re-organized. less they want to be, and can be, and We have to remember the media has With individuals, you don’t always have figure how to manage that. We have a a job to do, just like we do. The more we to have a public profile…sometimes it’s generational makeup now where con- treat them as partners, the more we’re the better part of valor. sumers and stakeholders [will reward] going to be able to work with them. So, true fearlessness. showing we care about our clients and Nickerson: I am a strong believer in being passionate...and being extremely working with leaders from the begin- CI: What do you counsel companies timely and accurate and having a tone ning of building their brand. It helps about how much time it will take to that engages the media with what we’re when you need to neutralize challenges, regain its reputation after a crisis? trying to convey is just as important as speculation or drama. It’s not necessar- what the leadership is saying. ily a redirect, or avoiding the question, Illingworth: An overarching question they’re able to neutralize [a question] is: ‘Is the crisis really over?’ Crises have CI: Do you recommend the company with a thoughtful answer, and then tails. Think of News Corp. Just when stay in the public eye after a crisis or re-direct to something else. you think it’s over, it’s not over. Think of remain quiet? Lisa, for argument’s If [leaders] need to be back out there, CBS. The examples go on and on. sake, let’s say it’s a company with a in front of the press, they need to have First thing: Do you have a handle on good relationship with media prior neutralizing statements and they have the facts? Do you know what you don’t to the crisis. to practice them, especially if they’re not know and need to find out before you experienced handling the press. craft an external communication strate- Nickerson: Stay in front of the media. gy and before you make any represen- It’s another cardinal sin. Companies Neutralizing Statements tations on whether or not it’s over and think, ‘Oh, the crisis is over.’ And they go CI: What makes a good neutralizing what your posture is. back to day-to-day. statement? People remember the last thing you A Crisis is Never Done told them. If you have a piece of great Nickerson: Acknowledgment…the If you’ve gone through a crisis on the news, that’s the last thing they’ve heard. speaker should remain calm and ac- scale of News Corp, it’s never over. You’ve If you had a person in front of the me- knowledge the question [about the cri- gone into a new category of mindfulness dia during a crisis, let’s keep him there. sis], touch on it and then lead the public about who you are as an organization, He’s a trusted voice; let’s keep him shar- to what you want it to know. You talk your culture and tone, what you did or

6 Crisis Insider | february 2021 prnewsonline.com didn’t do to act against people. [media] speed, they may underestimate a publication are picked up and tweeted. You have to function in this new how much work they have to do. Are They can tell us if it’s a bot or a real per- awareness about how to manage your you monitoring even hidden platforms? son. So, do we have to worry about bots communication. Very few organizations Yes, the crisis might be over on Face- or real people? It works in 20 languag- do that because sometimes new man- book, but is it over on Reddit? You can es and [monitors] multiple platforms.... agement comes in and they think, ‘[The head off so many things when they’re People don’t understand the ecosystem, crisis] is not our problem anymore.’ Or smoldering. It’s much better than saying how information goes from one platform there’s willful negligence. ‘Let’s wait and see.’ It’s like, ‘My kitchen to another and how to focus and judge is on fire, let’s wait and see if it spreads what’s important and what to respond to. Nickerson: You get leaders who say, ‘I to other parts of the house.’ don’t want to talk about [the crisis] any- Nickerson: I completely agree. I’d add more.’ They want to focus on something CI: On monitoring, is there a formu- that we need to watch the basics, even new. They’re moving in a different key la you use? Is there a numerical level with the best monitoring tools. When internally than the public is. It’s import- that you recommend to determine monitoring, respond to the reporter ant that the entire leadership team un- when to react or is it instinctual? who tweets about [a crisis]...If it’s an derstand the plan [to regain reputation], important reporter, reach out and say, whether it takes six months or a year. Illingworth: There’s a company we’re ‘We’re on top of this. How can we be a There also are a lot [of social plat- building a partnership with that does resource?’ So, you’re building a rela- forms] to monitor. If people are not ecosystem monitoring. They can show tionship from the outset, before they’ve experienced in [today’s level of] social us virtually and globally…if comments in even written an article. CI

HOSTAGE CRISIS

Public Information Officer Chooses Transparency and Publicizes Jail’s New Protocols for Preventing Future Hostage Crises

March 21, 2020, began as a beautiful day in Orlando. Early measures to ensure a crisis does not in the evening, though, a (figurative) dark cloud settled over recur. The Orange County Jail quickly the booking and release center at the Orange County Jail. ramped up security protocols. An armed man took four people hostage: the deputy Corrections officers now conduct a who arrested him, a corrections officer, a nurse and an- second search before an arrestee en- other man, who was arrested with the suspect. ters the facility. In addition, they carry The situation drew hundreds of law enforcement mem- Tasers now. Metal handcuffs are used Tracy Zampaglione Public Information bers to the jail, and nearby roads were closed. instead of flex cuffs. Moreover, the Officer True to form, the media was first to arrive on the scene. Special Response and Hostage Nego- Orange County Corrections Tracy Zampaglione, public information officer at the Or- tiation teams now hold joint trainings. Department ange County Corrections Department, took media calls and directed press to a staging area near the jail. ENGAGING THE MEDIA The County’s SWAT team and Internal Special Response As the Jail’s communicator, Zampaglione had a choice: Team (SRT), along with the Corrections Chief, the County She could resist reminding the public of the hostage crisis Director of Public Safety and the County Sheriff briefed or craft a story around its new protocols. She chose the the media soon after the incident was resolved. latter, even though the more traditional route is to avoid re-introducing bad news. How Did It Happen? Her nod to transparency worked. A local CBS affiliate The questions were many. Obviously, reporters wanted to did a story about the new protocols during ‘Getting Re- know how a detaineed could enter the jail with a firearm sults on Crime’ segments on two newscasts. “I’d worked after officers screened him? with the [CBS] reporter before...he is...a green light ‘go to’ The Orange County Sheriff didn’t dodge the question. journalist,” she says. The Sheriff confirmed the suspect entered the jail with a An officer who was instrumental in diffusing thesitu- firearm. In addition, the Sheriff noted the jail was investi- ation was recognized as the 2021 Florida Sheriffs Asso- gating the incident. ciation Officer of the Year. The Public Information Office Authorities later determined the hostage taker freed used the award as an opportunity to generate additional his left hand from flex cuffs. This allowed him to grab a positive press with print and broadcast outlets. CI gun while in the booking center. Deputies negotiated with him for about 90 minutes. [Editor’s Note: Tracy Zampaglione, Public Information Officer, CI Eventually, the man surrendered; no one was injured. Orange County Corrections Department, is a featured speak- One of the keys to crisis management is implementing er during the Crisis Management Virtual Event, March 24-25.] prnewsonline.com Crisis Insider | february 2021 7 CRISIS averted A Precursor to Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mary Miller Averts a Crisis, for Now

Watching cable news earlier this month, Green’s predecessor let me be clear: I’m passionately pro-Isra- you’d be hard-pressed to avoid stories Greene’s story, if not its outcome, is sim- el and I will always be a strong advocate about Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. ilar to an earlier episode. Another fresh- and ally of the Jewish community.” She’s the GA Republican freshman man legislator, Rep. Mary Miller, 61, an who endorsed violence against House Illinois Republican, was just days into Crisis Averted? Speaker Nancy Pelosi, denied 9/11 and her term last month when she seemed In Miller’s case, was a crisis averted? said the anti-gun lobby organized some to commend Hitler. Timing sometimes is a wild card in a mass shootings at schools. “Each generation has the responsibil- crisis. With Miller, time worked in her A video shows Greene firing ques- ity to teach and train the next genera- favor “in a way,” says Jenny Wang, a VP tions at David Hogg, a gun-control ac- tion,” Miller said. “You know, if we win a at DC-based Clyde Group. Violence at tivist who, like her, is a survivor of a few elections, we’re still going to be los- the Capitol Jan. 6 “buried just about any school shooting. Hogg other news” during that survived a shooting in period. So, in part, Miller’s 2018. crisis was averted. In addition, Greene Yet, Wang argues, Miller touted anti-Islamic and was part of what led to the anti-Semitic comments events of Jan. 6. Her Jan. 5 and videos–a CA wild- remarks may “come back fire, she said, was the to haunt her” as the coun- result of Jews aiming try eventually decides how space-based lasers at to handle white suprema- forrests. She espoused cists and domestic terror- QAnon ideology. ists, Wang says. Her behavior led to Nick Kalm, president a House vote that re- of Chicago-based Repu- moved her from con- tation Partners, agrees. gressional committee Twitter Time? Rep. Miller’s tweet defending her praise of Hitler was issued After the Democrats’ suc- assignments. as the Jan. 6 violence was occurring. The Capitol was declared safe at 8pm ET. cessful vote on Greene, “they could come back” An Explanation and try to punish Miller. Just prior to the Febru- Still, like Wang, he feels ary 4 vote, the 46-year-old took to the ing, unless we win the hearts and minds she’s “mostly” averted a crisis. House floor to walk back some of her of our children...Hitler was right on one Wang and Kalm blast Miller’s apol- statements. In a passive voice defense, thing: He said, ‘Whoever has the youth, ogy. While it was “more full-throated Greene said she was sorry for things “I has the future.’ Our children are being than [Greene’s],” it missed the mark said that were wrong and offensive.” propagandized.” when she accused others of twisting her The attacks on 9/11 “absolutely hap- Miller made her comments at a “Save words, Kalm says. pened” and school shootings are “abso- the Republic” rally Jan. 5 in Washington. Wang categorizes it as “almost a lutely real.” The next day, a group of rioters stormed non-apology apology.” The word-twist- Still, the thrust of her apology was an the U.S. Capitol, destroying property, ing phrase “makes it seem not genuine.” explanation: an untrustworthy govern- killing one police officer, injuring more Moreover, Miller, Kalm argues, loses ment and a dishonest news media–that than 140 officers and coming within feet points for her officie initially defending is “just as guilty as QAnon for promot- of legislators, who were voting to certify her pro-Hitler comments. ing lies”–disabled her ability to reason, the 2020 presidential election results. Wang’s advice to Miller: Make “gen- Greene said. Initially, Miller’s office defended her uine” overtures to Jewish groups “and Obviously, she ignored a core of crisis comments (see tweet, above). Notice apologize.” Craft an outreach plan; don’t communication: When apologizing, own the time of the tweet, literally as the vio- do it haphazardly. And when ques- your mistakes. Blaming others for your lence at the Capitol was occurring. tioned, “lean in; don’t say, ‘People twist- misdeeds rarely works. Similar to Greene, though, Miller ed my words.’” And don’t mention Nazis Greene also failed to atone for her eventually apologized for her remarks, or Hitler. endorsement of violence against fel- after she was called on them. Kalm concurs: “Stay away from men- low lawmakers. Moreover, she doubled “I sincerely apologize for any harm my tioning totalitarian” regimes “for a down on comments about Hogg, who, words caused and regret using a refer- while...concentrate on less-controver- she said in 2019, “is an idiot who only ence to one of the most evil dictators in sial constituent issues.” In addition, talks when he’s scripted.” history...” Miller said Jan. 9. “While some reach out to groups that oppose what Still, just 11 Republicans went against are trying to intentionally twist my words happened to Greene. “Try to get their her in the 230-199 vote Feb. 4. into something antithetical to my beliefs, support of you and your apology.” CI

8 Crisis Insider | february 2021 prnewsonline.com