How social media has changed crisis management

A client recently asked me how social media had changed the principles of crisis management. My answer? “It hasn’t”.

Let me explain myself. Ultimately, social media is just another communication channel through which stakeholders receive, communicate and share information. It poses challenges which would have been unimaginable ten years ago, but it does not alter the fundamental rules of effective crisis management (first among which is “tell it all, and tell it fast”).

Social media places new demands on crisis management teams

What has changed is the context in which crisis communication takes place and the resultant demands on crisis management teams (as outlined in our short video below):

Crisis management principles have not changed because of social media. But crisis management practice has been turbo-charged.

If you want to know more about how social media has changed crisis management, download our report which examines how it has revolutionized the way reporters cover breaking news.