Baltimore Ravens Crisis Communication Plan
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Running head: BR CRISIS PLAN Baltimore Ravens Crisis Communication Plan Presented by: Linda Stroud BR CRISIS PLAN Index Situation Analysis History ………………………………………………………………… 3 Culture ………………………………………………………………… 4 SWOT ……………………………………………………………….... 5 Crisis Plan Purpose ……………………………………………………………….. 6 Introduction to Plan …………………………………………………. 6 Objectives …………………………………………………………….. 7 Key Publics …………………………………………………………… 7 Crisis Communication Team ………………………………………... 8 Timeline ………………………………………………………………. 9 Checklist ……………………………………………………………… 11 Appendixes Appendix A -- Post-Crisis Review …………………………………. 13 Appendix B -- Key Messages and Media Tips …………………….. 14 2 BR CRISIS PLAN Situation Analysis Ray Rice Incident History On Feb. 15, 2014, Ray Rice, running back for the Baltimore Ravens, was caught on a surveillance camera punching his then-fiancée in the face and knocking her unconscious in an Atlantic City casino elevator. Another camera then caught Rice dragging his fiancée’s unconscious body from the elevator where the incident occurred. Both Rice and his fiancée were arrested at the scene, charged and released on simple assault charges. Charges were later dropped for Jamay Palmer, Rice’s fiancée at the time, but Rice’s charges were upped to aggravated assault in March – a charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. News of the arrest spread quickly immediately following the incident, with Rice’s attorney describing the incident as a “minor physical altercation.” Support for Rice within the NFL and the Raven’s organization was strong at first, with many saying this was an isolated incident and that Rice was a man of good character with no previous record of being in trouble for off-field behavior. Raven’s owner, Steve Bisciotti, went so far as to say, "He's just been lauded as the nicest, hardest working, greatest guy on the team and in the community. So we have to support him. I think we'll be rewarded by him maturing and never putting himself in a situation like that again.” Bisciotti went on to say, "I've been on record of saying my definition of character is repeating offenses. If we're all one strike and you're out, then we're all in trouble. It's how you respond to adversity." The initial punishment for Rice, handed down in the months following the incident, was a two-game suspension. That might’ve been the end of the subject and the whole affair might’ve soon been forgotten – just another blip on the NFL radar and in the minds of fans who have seen far too many players misbehave off the field – but no one could deny the seriousness of the assault when TMZ released the surveillance videos to the public. The outrage from the public was immediate and the Raven’s and the NFL knew they had a big problem on their hands. Gone were the days when they controlled the conversation and public perception. Fans and activists began expressing their displeasure loud and clear. The Raven’s organization and the NFL could not ignore the groundswell of social media rising up against their handling of the incident or the debate that was airing on every news program in America. Their carefully constructed narrative fell apart quickly with the release of the video evidence, which sent them scrambling to save face and repair their image. The Ravens organization had attempted to minimalize the situation, presumably hoping it would just go away in time, but the public outcry forced them to take a tougher stand in September by increasing his punishment from a two-game suspension to termination of the running back’s contract. The NFL responded by concurrently suspending Rice indefinitely. In spite of the tougher stance, however, The Ravens and the NFL still had a PR problem. Many still saw a problem with how the situation was being handled as the organizations claimed they had no knowledge of how bad the incident really was when the first punishment decision was made. They claimed Rice had not been completely honest about 3 BR CRISIS PLAN the details of the incident and that they had not seen the videos in the early days of the crisis. But sources soon came forward to refute that claim and both the Ravens and the NFL found themselves still simmering in a pot of public outrage and disbelief. Steve Bisciotti issued a formal apology for the team’s response on Set. 9 stating that the team should have “pursued their investigation more vigorously” and done more. Many felt Bisciotti’s apology was “too little, too late.” NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell, who faced criticism and calls for his resignation as details emerged, stated he would not resign that same day. The NFL announced an independent investigation Sept. 10. In 2014, the public made it clear that they had had enough – enough of the failure to acknowledge the NFL has a problem with some of its players, the lack of appropriate response from the league, the lack of punishment and the bad behavior itself. Culture There are many who believe football is a violent sport that fosters violence within its culture. Ray Rice is just one of many in a long line of professional football players to exhibit violent behavior off the field of play. In a Huffington Post sports blog written in April 2014, Abigail Perdue cites Sports Illustrated as reporting that approximately 14 NFL players have been arrested for violence against women since 2012. USA Today reports that 85 players have been arrested on domestic violence charges since 2000. Those numbers do not reflect the number of players who have been arrested and charged with other violent crimes – and there are quite a few. Players are often drafted as young as the age of 21 – after their third year of college – and are given very little guidance from the league on how to handle their newfound fame and the money that comes with playing professional football. These new, young professional athletes often find themselves “broke” either during their short career or shortly after due to a short peak-earnings period and, in many cases, a lack of the time and desire to understand and monitor their investments – according to a 2009 Sports Illustrated article. Players are lauded for their athletic prowess, often have groupies and “hangers-on” and frequently only receive a ”slap on the wrist” from the NFL for their antics, transgressions and bad behavior apart from game days. The testosterone-fueled sport draws millions of fans and billions of dollars each year for team owners and the NFL. There is little to no effort on the part of team owners, and/or the NFL as a whole, to rein in player misconduct and create a set of standards for conduct off the field. Owners and NFL management have historically chosen to turn a blind eye to bad behavior and have attempted to sweep player misconduct “under the rug” when situations arise in the hope that; a) the situation will be replaced by other news and just go away, b) the player’s misconduct will not affect the organization or the sport as a whole and c) they (the owners and the NFL) can continue on as if they bear no responsibility for their players’ character or personal issues as long as the players are performing on the field of play. 4 BR CRISIS PLAN SWOT Strengths: • Capacity for change • Large fan base • Loyal fan base • Solid financial standing Weaknesses: • History of avoidance in dealing with player issues off the field • Big industry bringing in a lot of money can lead to lack of transparency or honest communication with its publics • Perceived lack of concern for player misbehavior • Disorganized/inappropriate responses to issues as they arise • Missing opportunities to be a positive contributor to the conversation on issues such as: domestic violence, intimate-partner violence, substance abuse, animal abuse and other topics that players have been involved in over the years Opportunities: • To promote awareness of important causes such as: domestic violence, intimate- partner violence, substance abuse, animal abuse and others • To position the NFL as an organization that cares about its personnel and is using its power and resources to help its players and others • To positively impact the personal lives of its players and their families by educating and providing support to players • To bring about positive changes to the game of football and its culture that could be an example to younger players – ultimately “cleaning up” the culture and the image • To regain the trust and respect of fans Threats: • Groundswell of social media and activism prevents them from controlling narratives • Public outrage over years of inappropriate responses to player misconduct could affect image, popularity of football and revenues • Player misconduct off the field – reflects on the team and the NFL as a whole • Pressure to change their culture • Loss of tax exempt status • Loss of revenues and popularity 5 BR CRISIS PLAN Crisis Plan Purpose The purpose of this crisis communication plan is to give the Baltimore Ravens clear directives for managing crisis situations involving player misconduct off the field of play. The plan will outline key responsibilities, procedures and protocols to ensure honest and accurate communication with key publics. Introduction The NFL has faced criticism for its handling of cases involving domestic violence, intimate-partner violence and other abuses among its players. The handling of and response to these crisis situations has been less than transparent and forthcoming with key publics who support the NFL as a whole and its individual teams. The past approach to handling these serious situations is no longer viable or appropriate in the current environment of public awareness fueled by a 24-hour news cycle and the prevalence of social media use. The NFL and its teams need to have a concrete plan that addresses the changing times and the demand for more appropriate response to player misconduct off the field.