There are a lot of places to get experience, and experience in the real world of crisis is essential to have credibility and opportunity in the field. Crisis Management is the currently the most sought-after area of public relations practice

When compassion is required and the organization is unprepared, while the victims, the survivors, employees and other stakeholders are waiting to hear compassionate language and see compassionate actions, management gets into its “bunker” mentality, retreats and refuses to do anything until they see a clear path forward.

As we’ve recently seen, the IRS methods are problematic but generous when it comes to deciding which organizations deserve this status. In fact, the problem with this process is that NPO status determination is based on the organizations qualifying activities instead of its actual need, accomplishments or trustworthiness, for tax abatement.

As we’ve recently seen, the IRS methods are problematic but generous when it comes to deciding which organizations deserve this status. In fact, the problem with this process is that NPO status determination is based on the organizations qualifying activities instead of its actual need, accomplishments or trustworthiness, for tax abatement.

Because of the explosive nature of social media, developing a monitoring strategy and putting it in place as part of a crisis plan is essential. Of course, you could attempt to handle this monitoring yourself or assign it to someone on your staff. Or you could take advantage of companies like BrandProtect and Risdall.com, which provide reputational monitoring services.

A former TV anchor-turned PR executive ruffled a lot of feathers by admitting that he posted opinions on websites and blogs using a phony name while being paid by the controversial construction project company to do just that. A lot of folks, including the New York Times, have their shorts all wrinkled up about this behavior.

Advising others on the issues, problems and situations that truly matter is one of our most challenging professional activities. It takes a special breed of individual to counsel those who do important work affecting the lives, lifestyles and well being of other people, organizations, cultures, even societies.

In 30 years, I have seen only one satisfactory correction by a news outlet, and that was because the reporter was arrested and jailed for hacking an executive’s e-mail. If you want a satisfactory correction, remember the yo-yo factor… you’re on your own.

When bad things happen to good organizations, the people in charge often stall, delay and deny, doing everything except those very actions that most people would recognize as the “right” thing to do. By considering the behaviors with the most potential to affect the organization directly, we can identify a list of weaknesses that those in trouble tend to exhibit before, during, and after a crisis occurs.

This week’s news is again full of the relentless legal, political, and adversarial pounding British Petroleum (BP) continues to receive as a result of its huge and disastrous spill in the Gulf of Mexico.