Ono the Ostrich CRISIS MANAGER
The Internet Newsletter about Crisis Management 
 Editor: Erik Bernstein 
 Publisher: Jonathan Bernstein

"For Those Who Are Crisis Managers,
Whether They Want to be or Not"


ISSN:1528-3836
© 2016 Jonathan Bernstein

Will the D.C. Madam Haunt a 2016 Candidate?


Volume XVII, Number 3

March 31, 2016     
Just a Thought  

"Eliminating surprises goes a long way toward mitigating the impact of a crisis."

- Jonathan Bernstein
From the Editor 
 
Presidential races always bring a series of controversies, and boy have we seen a juicy one come on the scene over the past few days. A lawyer who represented the "D.C. Madam" is seeking a Supreme Court hearing to allow him to share name(s) contained on a list of likely clients of the infamous madam. The lawyer, Montgomery Blair Sibley, claims the information has relevance to the presidential election, and that judges would be "letting people vote blindly" if his information was suppressed. 

Oh, and if the Supreme Court doesn't hear him out, well he's threatening to release the info regardless!

The situation is interesting from a crisis management standpoint because, while obviously it's an extreme example, as-yet unproven allegations crease nasty situations for organizations and individuals every day. Whether the accusations are spread via the press, as they are in this situation, or by independent social media accounts and blogs, they can and do stir up trouble for those involved.

It's fun to fire up the popcorn to watch the D.C. situation unfold, but not so much when it's your own reputation on the line. You can be sure the candidates will be dancing around the issue, and there are likely to be crisis PR lessons for all (although whether they'll be how-to's or how-NOT-to's remains to be seen) in watching how it's handled should names and evidence actually see the light of day.

  
- EB
 
Interested in reprinting BCM articles or blog posts?
We're happy to give permission for material to be reprinted in hard copy or online!

If you find something you would like to reprint, simply submit a request to jonathan@bernsteincrisismanagement.com.

 

Blogs

The Bernstein Crisis Management blog , along with our blog at the Free Management Library are frequently updated and filled with case studies, advice, and the latest news on techniques, threats, and more.

Here, we share a look at some of the most popular posts from recent weeks:

When it comes to search, Google is king. Delving into the importance search results hold for your reputation is Crisis Management Quotables...on What Google Says.

Confidence is essential to success in business, what misplaced confidence is not. In this post we opine on a Dangerous Trend: Over-Confidence and Crisis Management.

After a flying bat comes inches from smashing the face of a young fan, we ask "Is MLB Waiting Until Someone Dies to Get Proactive?"

Following a near-miss at yet another location, we suggest that  Chipotle Needs to Worry About Procedure Before PR.

Kellog's Copes with Product Contamination looks at the situation following the release of a video that appears to show a worker urinating on a conveyor belt at the food brand's Michigan facility.

Reputation is king, and the internet is where yours will be put on display. Managing Your Online Reputation in 2016 touches on the importance of keeping your web presence positive along with sharing some convincing facts.

Do you have a topic you'd like to see featured in our blogs? Send an email to erik@bernsteincrisismanagement.com and there's a good chance you'll be seeing it right here in the next issue!

 
Business Announcements 
(aka blatant self-promotion) 
  
Are There Any Holes in Your Crisis Planning?

Your organization may well have crisis prevention and response-related plans in place - but are you sure they're going to cover all the bases? Bernstein Crisis Management's Crisis Document Audit is a low-cost, flat-rate service which will quickly provide you with a comprehensive analysis of your existing plans and recommendations for improvement.

Contact jonathan@bernsteincrisismanagement.com for more information.

We're Giving Away Keeping the Wolves at Bay and other crisis publications!

Several new items have been added to our FREE crisis management library, including  Keeping the Wolves at Bay, the widely used media-training manual published by Jonathan Bernstein.

To visit the download page, click here.

Exciting New Services from Bernstein Crisis Management

We are are proud to introduce two new services that will allow us to better meet the needs of our clients! 

First, from entering new markets to defending billion-dollar established industries, BCM's public affairs practice, led by twenty year veteran Greg Brooks, will help you win the battle for the hearts and minds of audiences from City Council to the halls of Congress.

Our second addition is based on the belief that an important piece in managing a crisis includes attending to the emotional reactions that influence the outcome. Presented and facilitated by Steven Degelsmith, Ph.D., our focused human factors in crisis management service will equip you with the tools you need to handle even the most volatile of situations.
 
Social Media Crisis Training

A solid social media manager has quickly become a must-have for organizations of any size, and can make an immense difference by driving in customers and building your positive reputation online.

The problem is, the vast majority are simply not equipped to even identify building crises, much less take the steps necessary to cope with and mitigate the damage that can result.

That's where we come in.

Bernstein Crisis Management is now offering crisis management training for social media managers, both independent and in-house, as well as social media firms.

For an overview of our services, estimates, or more information, contact erik@bernsteincrisismanagement.com
 

About Us

 

   

Jonathan Bernstein is both publisher of Crisis Manager and president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., a national crisis management public relations agency providing 24/7 access to crisis response professionals. The agency engages in the full spectrum of crisis management services: crisis prevention, response, planning & training. He has been in the public relations field since 1982, following five-year stints in both military intelligence and investigative reporting.

Write to Jonathan at:

Erik Bernstein is vice president of Bernstein Crisis Management. Erik started with BCM in 2009 as a writer and subsequently became social media manager for the consultancy itself as well as for a number of BCM clients before moving to the VP position.

 

Write to Erik at: 

Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. is located at 700 S. Myrtle Ave., #404, Monrovia, CA 91016. Telephone: (626) 825-3838.

 


Legal Disclaimer (aka the small print)

All information contained herein is obtained by Jonathan Bernstein from sources believed by Jonathan Bernstein to be accurate and reliable. 

 

Because of the possibility of human and mechanical error as well as other factors, neither Jonathan Bernstein nor Bernstein Crisis Management is responsible for any errors or omissions. All information is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Bernstein Crisis Management and Jonathan Bernstein make no representations and disclaim all express, implied, and statutory warranties of any kind to the user and/or any third party including, without limitation, warranties as to accuracy, timeliness, completeness, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose.  

 

Unless due to willful tortuous misconduct or gross negligence, Jonathan Bernstein and Bernstein Crisis Management shall have no liability in tort, contract, or otherwise (and as permitted by law, product liability), to the user and/or any third party.  

 

Under no circumstance shall Bernstein Crisis Management or Jonathan Bernstein be liable to the user and/or any third party for any lost profits or lost opportunity, indirect, special, consequential, incidental, or punitive damages whatsoever, even if Bernstein Crisis Management or Jonathan Bernstein has been advised of the possibility of such damages.  

 

A service of this newsletter is to provide news summaries and/or snippets to readers. In such instances articles and/or snippets will be reprinted as they are received from the originating party or as they are displayed on the originating website or in the original article. As we do not write the news, we merely point readers to it, under no circumstance shall Bernstein Crisis Management or Jonathan Bernstein be liable to the user and/or any third party for any lost profits or lost opportunity, indirect, special, consequential, incidental, or punitive damages whatsoever due to the distribution of said news articles or snippets that lead readers to a full article on a news service's website, even if Bernstein Crisis Management or Jonathan Bernstein has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Authors of the original news story and their publications shall be exclusively held liable. Any corrections to news stories are not mandatory and shall be printed at the discretion of the list moderator after evaluation on a case-by-case basis.

 

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Just A Thought
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