Pre-Plan, Practice, and Perform
Newsletter #129
This Week
Crisis Scenarios to Think Through
ICYMI: Where to Begin On a Crisis Plan
Just for Laughs
Before We Go…
1. Crisis Scenarios You Should Be Ready For
First responders train for all kinds of emergencies. They practice until their response becomes muscle memory. They hope many of those skills never need to be used, but if the moment comes, they want their actions to be second nature.
Communicators should approach crisis situations the same way: pre-plan, practice, and perform when the moment arrives.
At Clarity Channels Communications, we use a simple definition of an organizational crisis: A crisis is any event or situation that threatens to harm your reputation, disrupt operations, or negatively impact your staff, programs, or stakeholders.
For any organization, a crisis communications plan is not a luxury — it's a necessity.
Many people assume the role of a communications team during a crisis is limited to managing negative press, social media backlash, or public missteps.
But our definition is much broader than that.
A crisis isn't limited to situations where lives are on the line and every second counts. It's not just a damaging headline or a viral video, though those certainly qualify.
2. Not a Luxury, a Need: A Crisis Communication Plan
A crisis plan is kind of like a will: nobody wants to deal with it, but when you need it, it’s sure a relief for everyone involved that you put one together.
A great companion to our lead story this week, this EO Report favorite sets you up for success when crafting your organization’s plan. It’ll help you identify your team, gather contact information, establish your goals, and get a basic draft going so that you’re prepared for the scenarios in our lead story.
4. Before We Go…
From The Drum: Watch all the biggest and best World Cup 2026 ads
Who else is loving all of the World Cup content on our social feeds these days? Here’s a compilation of some of the best ads from the event.
From The New York Times: ‘The View’ asks its audience for help in battle with F.C.C.
“ABC is hoping to enlist a powerful ally in its clash with the Federal Communications Commission: millions of highly engaged viewers of its daytime-TV talk show The View. In an unusual move, ABC began airing direct appeals to the audience Monday during the show’s commercial breaks, asking viewers to support the program in a battle with the F.C.C. over political speech.”
From the Pew Research Center: Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact
“More Americans are using chatbots, and some are adopting AI summaries and smart speakers. But views about AI and how fast it’s advancing tilt negative – even for younger adults”