prsa social media brief 4 aug 10

Air Force Reserve Command

One Air Force, Same Fight…An Unrivaled Wingman

As of: 15 July 09

434th Air Refueling Wing – Crisis Response

One Air Force, Same Fight…An Unrivaled WingmanAs of: 24 May 06

Before the CrisisCrisis communication and Social Media

Frederick C. Bagg, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA


Before the Crisis

The 2008 crisis and social media in healthcare survey

Understand the nature of crisis

Assess your vulnerabilities

Have a plan Contacts Processes Checklists Agreements

Drill, Drill, Drill

Environmental Scanning


Understanding Crisis

What kinds of crises Should you prepare for?• Class A – Natural Disasters• Class B – External Disasters/Medical

Emergencies • Class C – Internal Crisis Medical

Emergencies –• Class D – Internal Crisis – Non-Medical

Emergencies


Examples of crises shared in 2008 crisis and social media survey

Class A – Natural Disasters - 35%• Fires, Floods, Tornados, Blizzards, etc.

Class B – External Disasters/Medical Emergencies – 42%• Fire, Explosion, Chemical exposure, Multiple Victim

Accidents, epidemic, Tainted transplant tissue, poisoning, etc.

Class C – Internal Crisis Medical Emergencies – 28%• Workplace violence, sentinel events, structural collapse, etc.

Class D – Internal Crisis – Non-Medical Emergencies – 46%• Tax exempt status revoked, Fraud, unexpected executive

deaths, lawsuits, private data lost or stolen, executive sexual harassment, layoffs, equipment recall, etc.


Use of A Crisis Communication Plan

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Use of Crisis Communication Plan

Independent butlinked

Independent notlinked

No independent butincluded inorganization's plan

No crisis com planbut do have adisaster plan

no crisis com plan orcrisis/disaster plan


New or Social Media used frequently or very frequently

Internal CEO or Mgmnt blog – 12.3%

External CEO or Mgmnt blog – 8.2%

External “News blog” – 26.5% Crisis Web site (dark site) – 24% RSS feeds -= 20.9% Twitter – 0% Broadcast voice messaging –

10.2% Broadcast text messaging –

8.1%

Target audience text messaging – 14.9%

Posting info on own e-communities – 16.7%

Posting info on others e-communities – 18.8%

Podcasts – 6.1% Vodcasts – 2.0% Videos on YouTube – 6.1% Photos on photo sharing site

like Flikr – 2% Activate live web-cam – 2% Embed MP3 Files in e-mail and

Web releases – 2%


Use of social media in crisis in 2008

Social media is just “catching on” in healthcare

Most organizations use e-mail and Web as part of their “traditional media” response to crises,

but 80% aren’t using blogs, RSS feeds, Podcasts, Vodcasts, embedded MP3 files, e-communities or other social media tools


Significant business disruption

Extensive news coverage

Extensive public scrutiny

Adverse affect on normal operations

Exceeds the normal capacity of the organization to respond

Institute for Crisis Management Characteristics of a Crisis


Definition of a Business Crisis

A significant business disruption which results in extensive news media coverage and public scrutiny

Different types of business crises• Sudden• Smoldering• Perceptual• Bizarre


What to Expect in a Crisis

Surprise

Insufficient information

Escalating flow of events

Loss of control

Increased scrutiny


Crisis Response Plan

Need to have a communication plan INDEPENDENT of the organization’s operational crisis or disaster plan!


Criteria/categories

Crisis team and responsibilities

Basic message points / platform

Contacts and media list

Crisis command post and media center

Guidelines, checklists & forms

Elements of a Crisis Response Plan


Preparation for a Crisis

Have it written down

Be flexible

Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse

Prepare for the things you KNOW will happen so you can free up your time for the unanticipated!


Assess the vulnerabilities

Scenarios

Have a plan & prepare management

Before the Crisis


Assessing your Vulnerabilities

Understanding organization’s history/ skeletons in the closet

Quick & dirty • Grid• Formula sheet


Human

Technical/Natural

RoutineSevere

tornado

sabotage

data entry error

explosion/fire

thunderstorm

blizzard

flood

computer virus

terrorism

boycott

workplace violence

discrimination

failure to report problem

toxic spill

harassment

class action lawsuit

equipment failure

failure to follow procedures

major defect

Cause-Severity Grid


• Develop a list based on categories• E.g. Category: Natural disaster:

• Flood• Tornado• Earthquake• Etc.

• Sort by Likelihood and Urgency

Assess the Vulnerabilities


• Establish priorities based on combination of Likelihood, urgency as well as level of impact on the organization

• One book urges a 5 point system for each characteristic, applied to likelihood, urgency, and impact



Category Likelihood Urgency Impact Total

Tornado 4 3 5 12

Mercy Killer 2 3 5 10

MedicareFraud

5 4 4 13



• Understanding organization’s history/ skeletons in the closet

• Quick & dirty • Grid• Formula sheet• Monitor media, trends

• Vulnerability study with consultants• Communication audit


Scenario planning

Tied to vulnerabilities

Worst case• What if

Prepare for “worst case”

Multiple scenarios


Preparing Management

Attitude of openness• Honest, verifiable or confirming, not

necessarily “tell everything”• Get “buy in” for social media use

Identified and trained spokespersons

Pre-approved statements, processes, policies


Drill-Drill-Drill

Practice your scenarios and participate in community drills

Set up realistic drills – not just catastrophes

Practice uncovers holes in your plan


Environmental Scanning

Continually monitor internal vulnerability points Monitor external vulnerability points – including

monitoring of social media “Clip” other people’s crises – take to

management team and say, “What would we have done” – “Are we ready for this?”

Use “real crises” from others in your drills and scenarios

Crisis preparation is ongoing – not done singularly


And now -

I’d like to turn this over to Grissom’s Lt. Col. Gary Lockard and Tech. Sgt. Mark Orders-Woempner to discuss crisis and social media during the crisis itself.


During the CrisisCrisis communication and Social Media

Lt. Col. Gary Lockard, Public Affairs chief

Tech. Sgt. Mark Orders-Woempner, Public Affairs


Initial Priorities

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Air Force priorities impact the Pubic Affairs mission during an accident or other crisis situation1. Rescuing the injured

2. Preventing further injury or loss of life

3. Safeguarding classified information

4. Protecting property and preserving clues to

the cause of the mishap

5. Meeting the needs of the news media


Environment has changed

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Previously, AF’s major concern was aircraft accidentsNow, emergency managers and PA practice a host of world-wide scenarios to include:Natural disastersVehicle accidentsFiresEnvironmental situations TerroristInternal situations


Release of Information

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The PA office will assist the media and ensure they are provided any information which is releasable under current Air Force guidelines. Releasable information includes:Type of resource involved (aircraft, vehicle, building, etc)Where the resources was basedTime of the incidentNumber of people involvedAF guidelines require the initial release of information be provided to the media within one hour of the time of the incident.


Privacy—24 Hours

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To protect the privacy of those involved in the incident and their family members, the following information will not be immediately released:

• Name of those killed or seriously injured• Cause of the incident/accident

After the next of kin have been notified, and a 24-hour time period has passed, the AF will release the names of those killed or injured.

This procedure was changed in 2004 and lengthens the time period between when the accident occurs and when the names are provided to the media.


Does policy match technology?

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AF policy is initial release within one hour. Release must also be approved by major command.

How quickly do all media receive the release if sent out via email or fax?

Previous incidents demonstrate people close to the incident (base employees, local populace) get info to media quickly through camera phones, tweets, etc.Same people also distribute info via facebook, twitter, etc., much more quicker than “official” PA channels

One Air Force, Same Fight…An Unrivaled WingmanAs of: 24 May 06 33

• Objectives stay the same

• Not a replacement for traditional media

• Social media acts at “Force Multiplier”

During the Crisis - New Media


• Faxing new releases

• Antiquated - Possible Failure

• Slow and Cumbersome

• “Straight Talk” lines

• Low exposure

• Possible overload

• Web site postings

• Up to 30 min to post

• Possible overload

Traditional Media Issues


• Crowdsourcing

• inaccurate and potentially dangerous

• @FtHoodShootings - Ran by news organization

• Was #1 Twitter source

Lessons Learned – Ft. Hood


• Citizen ‘Journalists’

• Tweeted multiple inaccuracies from “the inside”

• Became a ‘source’ that was quoted as accurate

• Skype interview from Army wife’s living room

• Interview live with Katie Couric

Lessons Learned – Ft. Hood


• Manpower

• Security

• Accuracy

• Policy

• Propriety

Major Concerns

SAPP


• Speed

• Feedback

• Force multiplication

If we don’t tell the Air Force Story,

someone else will!

Opportunities


• Continue to use traditional media

• Develop media priorities

• Quickly establish hashtags, Twitter lists, etc.

• Setup bloggers round table

The Plan


After the CrisisCrisis communication and Social Media

Robert E. Dittmer, APR


After the Crisis

Five Key Steps1. Continue monitoring media/communities

2. Thorough Follow-up with Contacts

3. Conduct data collection

4. Conduct Analysis

5. Create Lessons Learned – Update your plan

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Step One Continue monitoring

MediaCommunity leadersCommunity conversationsSocial media sites

Bloggers Forums Twitter Web traffic

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After the Crisis


Step Two Conduct a thorough follow-up with all

contacts Media Community Others

Provide updated information Correct erroneous information or

impressions Provide details on all SM and Web sites

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After the Crisis


After the Crisis

Step Three Data Collection

Web traffic analysisGoogle AlertsTraditional ClipsContent AnalysisGoogle AnalyticsEtc.

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After the Crisis

Step Four Conduct Analysis of Data

Volume of trafficTone of trafficMessage delivery fidelityConduct by mediumReview cause-effect of communications

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After the Crisis

Step Five Create Lessons Learned

What worked?What did NOT work?What else should have been done?What should NOT have been done?

Update your Crisis Plan

Remember: The crisis is NOT OVER until you have captured key learning points.

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Questions

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prsa social media brief 4 aug 10

Documents

wing crisis response

social mediafrederick

nature of crisisassess

healthcare surveyunderstand

crisiscrisis communication

th air

environmental scanning4

fellow prsa3