Purposeful, empathetic messaging and language are crucial in showing your support as a school community and for building lasting, authentic relationships. When racial tragedy strikes anywhere in our nation, silence is not an option; engaging and listening with healing intent is essential. When schools avoid discussions surrounding racism and traumatizing events, it communicates ignorance of the systematic issues at hand. Students within marginalized communities may feel disconnected, angered, frustrated and ignored.In order to create an environment that welcomes all students, schools must acknowledge every student, their assets and their struggles. Right now, schools have the opportunity to create that space online or in-person.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Acknowledge

Acknowledge tragedies that have occurred. Children, teachers and community members are hurting. Students who need to be seen right now may take their school’s silence as a disregard for their struggles and pain.

• Send out messages and updates with empathy. These can be challenging messages to write in an authentic and meaningful way. (Call us if you need help.)
• Design the experiences and environments within your community with intention and purpose; It’s time for change.
• Understand that not every student shares the same experience at school or in the world.

Create

We need to create a space for open discussions and spaces where the underrepresented voices in our communities can be heard; both within our student body and faculty.

• Bring empathy, emotion and unity.
• Ask the difficult, uncomfortable questions.
• Guide the conversations with flexibility.
• Develop an action plan that improves diversity and inclusion at your school.
• Create easily accessible in-person resources.

Encourage

Encourage staff, students, families and community members to have conversations and seek help when they need it.

• Encourage staff and teachers to make themselves available for conversations, even if they are uncomfortable.
• Make it easy to find school resources in-person and online.
• Build confidence and trust in vulnerability.
• Allow student voices to be a resource that can transform adult mindsets.

Educate Yourself

We must all listen. Silence is not the answer and taking the time to step into someone else’s shoes and diversify your perspectives is one of the best ways to strengthen relationships with students of color. But we can’t place the burden on students alone to educate adults. We need to read, listen and grow without preconceived judgment.

• Be as open-minded as possible; students may share some of the most vulnerable, difficult areas of their lives.
• Listen with the intent to do better; avoid dismissive or defensive responses; acknowledge that perception is reality.
• Read. People of color are not responsible for educating you; you are responsible for educating yourself; there are plenty of excellent books and evidence-based articles to read.
• Examine systemic issues, policies or practices that contribute to inequities or injustice.
• Share what you have learned with others.

It’s Time to Act

We must ask ourselves, now more than ever, how can we support students and employees of color. Are we listening carefully enough? Are we offering equitable opportunities? What voices need to be heard? What are our own harmful presumptions? What needs to be done to make people from all backgrounds feel seen? What do solidarity and unity really look like?

Right now, we have the opportunity to join a national discussion and use our voices for change. We must educate ourselves on the terms and ideas circulating right now. Black Lives Matter is not a statement that says other people’s lives don’t matter, but more importantly that black lives matter too – black lives are human lives and need to be protected and cherished just as much as others. Think of Black Lives as a subset of all lives; until Black Lives Matter, all lives don’t. Other marginalized groups experience similar traumas, and this statement does not take away from any of their struggles. White privilege does not signify that white people do not experience hardship, loss or tragedy, but that the color of their skin isn’t one of their struggles.

Great change doesn’t happen overnight, and undoing 400 years of racism in our society will take intentionality, but reflecting on these questions and marching into the future with the understanding that there is always room to grow—as individuals and as a community—is a way to inspire change.

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” – James Baldwin

According to the Social Science Research Network, 65% of the population are visual learners. For over half of the population, graphics are a much quicker and easier way to get your message across and are proven to be more effective. While long lists are often forgotten, graphics that are simple, clean and walk you through a journey from start to finish are simpler to understand, interpret and remember. If your company needs an upgrade in its crisis communication plan, we challenge you to use graphics for effectiveness in a time of crisis.

Here are a few tips to get started incorporating graphics in your crisis communication plan:

1. Write your copy first. Simplify as much as needed and map out the journey of the plan.

2. Use icons to help make your messages stick in the mind of your users.

3. Ensure that your infographic is on brand. 

4. Focus on the “need to knows” by using font sizing hierarchy.

5. Make it accessible to all. A picture does a good job of conveying information, but often times they are not accessible. Make sure information is conveyed in multiple ways that allow all users to access the information.

Want to see some examples? Email us, and we’d be happy to help you create an effective visual crisis plan.

A crisis media plan is designed to prepare yourself and your employees to respond to the media in time of crisis. A clear plan will protect your company and help things move more smoothly internally during a stressful situation, while sending an external message of preparedness.

Your plan should include a media policy that clearly documents who is authorized to speak with the press, in order of point of contact. Include business and cell phone numbers for all contacts within the policy, so a prompt connection can be made (within 30 minutes). Distribute your plan and review it with your staff. Assure them that it is not a “gag order,” but rather a policy designed for everyone’s protection.

Our CEL team has experience on the other side, working as news editors and television producers assigned to dispatching news crews to cover breaking news stories. We know that if your company/organization does not provide answers, it often frustrates the media and they become more determined to get them from someone else, like a disgruntled employee or customer.

If you have a public relations partner, it is important to call them as soon as the crisis hits, so they can help you through it. When you have a little time to prepare, it’s always best to write a media statement or press release with your key messages and share it with your attorney for review. Once approved, distribute the statement to your spokesperson/s and if you choose to do so, email it to the media.

If the media calls and catches you off guard, it’s okay to catch your breath and say, “Give me a moment to collect my thoughts and I’ll call you back in 15 minutes.” Now, if they show up at your door and stick a camera in your face, that’s not possible, so it’s best to say, “We don’t have anything to report at this time, but we’re looking into it.” And then, state your company’s overall commitment to good business practices. We NEVER recommend saying, “No comment,” because it implies guilt, whether guilty or not.

When interviewing with the media, it is essential that you deliver a quick, accurate and complete response, while still maintaining concern for individual privacy and legal responsibility.

Follow these 5 tips for meeting the press:

1. Let your concerns show

2. Be responsive, but don’t give more information than necessary

3. Do not argue or become critical

4. Listen and choose your words wisely before you speak

5. Stick you your key messages to avoid saying the wrong thing

Whether you decide to talk to the press or not, if you think your clients/customers are hearing negative things about your business, it’s important to communicate with them, give assurance and protect your brand. Acknowledge that they may be hearing things in the press and that they are unconfirmed. Send customers an email or e-blast that reiterates your key business messages pertaining to your ethics, values and commitment to customer service.

The best way to avoid a media crisis is to remain true to your business values and practices, but be prepared for the unexpected with a crisis media plan.