Communications in Crisis

One of the most common points of failure during a crisis is communication. This has been highlighted in most post incident enquiry reports.

Martyn’s Law (the Terrorism Protection of Premises Act 2025) directly targets the severe procedural and communication failures exposed by the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. Investigations revealed deadly breakdowns in how venues operated, communicated, and responded to emerging threats.

Communication failures in a crisis usually stem from delayed responses, inconsistent messaging and a lack of empathy. When leaders withhold information or fail to take accountability, it creates an information vacuum that breeds speculation and damages public trust.

Top Pitfalls in Crisis Communication

• Delayed Responses: Waiting too long to communicate allows rumour’s to take control of the narrative.
• Inconsistent Messaging: Conflicting statements across different channels (e.g., press releases versus social media) confuse stakeholders and ruin credibility.
• Lack of Empathy & Accountability: Failing to acknowledge the human cost of the crisis or trying to deflect blame erodes public confidence.
• Over-complication: Jargon-filled or overly frequent updates can distract from the core issue and overwhelm the audience.
• Ignoring the Human Factor: Relying on clunky, unfamiliar communication channels causes people to use unsecure “shadow IT” (like personal text apps) for critical updates.

Come and join us for this insightful webinar led by global expert Dr Keith Still and his colleague Gary Dean.