PECB Crisis Communication key terms

An unexpected event or situation that threatens an organization's people, operations, reputation, or stakeholders, demands urgent decisions under uncertainty, and usually disrupts normal communication routines.

The planned and continuous exchange of information between an organization and its stakeholders before, during, and after a disruptive event, aimed at protecting safety, trust, and operational continuity.

A documented set of roles, procedures, channels, templates, and decision rules that guides how an organization communicates during a crisis and how it maintains readiness between crises.

The sequence of phases a crisis passes through, commonly described as pre-crisis (prevention and preparation), crisis response, and post-crisis recovery and learning, each requiring different communication priorities.

Any person, group, or organization that affects or is affected by a crisis and the organization's response, including employees, customers, communities, regulators, media, and suppliers.

The process of identifying stakeholder groups, assessing their interests, influence, and information needs, and prioritizing whom to inform first and through which channels during a crisis.

A designated group with defined roles, such as lead spokesperson, message coordinator, media liaison, and internal communications lead, that executes the communication plan during an incident.

The trained individual authorized to speak on the organization's behalf to media and other external audiences, chosen for credibility, role relevance, and communication skill.

A short, accurate, audience-relevant statement that conveys the organization's core position, actions, and commitments during a crisis and is repeated consistently across channels.

The practice of ensuring everyone speaking for the organization uses the same approved facts and key messages, avoiding speculation, contradiction, or unauthorized commentary.

A brief, pre-approved public statement issued early in a crisis that acknowledges the situation, expresses concern, and commits to providing further verified information soon.

The early period immediately after a crisis becomes known, when public and stakeholder perceptions form fastest and a timely, accurate first response has the greatest influence.

How quickly an organization communicates credible information after an event, balancing the need to be fast against the need to avoid unverified claims.

A framework that matches response strategies to the level of reputational threat a crisis creates, distinguishing victim, accidental, and preventable crisis clusters and advising how much responsibility to accept.

The ongoing effort to shape and protect how stakeholders perceive the organization, including monitoring sentiment and responding to criticism during and after a crisis.

The deliberate actions an organization takes to rebuild stakeholder confidence after a crisis, such as acknowledging harm, correcting causes, compensating affected parties, and demonstrating sustained change.

A formal expression of regret that acknowledges the harm caused, accepts responsibility where appropriate, and indicates corrective action, rather than merely expressing sympathy.

The practice of monitoring unverified claims, correcting misinformation quickly with facts, and providing a reliable information source so that false narratives do not fill the void.

Systematic tracking of online conversations, sentiment, and emerging narratives across platforms to detect escalation, misinformation, and stakeholder concerns during a crisis.

A medium used to deliver messages to stakeholders, such as press releases, websites, social media, email, hotlines, or town halls, selected for reach, speed, and audience preference.

The flow of information to employees and contractors during a crisis, ensuring they know what is happening, what to say, and where to direct questions before external audiences hear it.

Managing interactions with journalists and news outlets, including briefings, interviews, and statements, to ensure accurate reporting while protecting the organization's position.

Preparation that builds spokespeople's ability to deliver key messages clearly under pressure, handle difficult questions, and avoid speculation or unauthorized statements.

A realistic exercise that tests the crisis communication plan, team roles, and decision-making under time pressure, often followed by a debrief to identify gaps.

A discussion-based drill in which participants walk through a fictional crisis scenario and practise communication decisions, coordination, and message approval without full operational deployment.

A structured review after a crisis that assesses response effectiveness, stakeholder feedback, and lessons learned, and updates plans, training, and message templates accordingly.

A standardized command structure that assigns clear roles, reporting lines, and coordination procedures so communication and operations remain aligned during a complex incident.

An agreed authoritative source of verified facts and approved messages that all communicators use, preventing conflicting information from reaching stakeholders.

A pre-built, unpublished web page or microsite that can be activated quickly during a crisis to publish statements, updates, and contact information without delay.

The deliberate, prioritized outreach to inform affected or influential groups about an incident, its impact, and the actions being taken, often before broader public disclosure.

An assessment of how serious an incident is in terms of harm, scale, and potential escalation, used to decide response level, escalation paths, and communication intensity.

The process of raising an incident to higher levels of authority and response as its severity, scope, or public attention increases, triggering additional communication resources.

The communication behaviour of recognizing and acknowledging the feelings and concerns of those affected, expressed before explanation or justification to preserve trust.

The practice of sharing what is known, what is not yet known, and when more information will follow, without concealing material facts that stakeholders need.

A formal governance document defining who may speak publicly, approval authority for statements, and the principles that guide communication decisions during incidents.

A systematic review of which incidents could harm the organization and which stakeholders would be most affected, used to tailor communication plans and pre-draft messages.

An assessment of existing communication capabilities, plans, channels, and team readiness against recognized practices, producing recommendations to close identified gaps.