by Fr. Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office
Fr. Federico Lombardi recentely spoke at a meeting of the communications commission for the Spanish bishops’ conference about Catholic communication. Zenit.org posted a lengthy translation of his talk that you can read here. In this article, I want to highlight what Fr. Lombardi said about crisis communication.
Fr. Lombardi spoke at length about “situations in which the Church is in difficulty because of grave scandals or accusations and is subjected to criticisms and attacks including in the media.” His advice (captions in bold are mine):
Anticipate problems, be prepared
The only truly effective measure is to anticipate the problems, to reduce the risks before they become a crisis and to prepare for the worst.
Go over your checklist
To determine, in the first place, what the message of the institution will be, to identify the public to which it is directed, to choose a spokesman and the appropriate channels of communication.
Your first attention should go to the victims on the ‘inside’
Do not only think of the “external” public, but before anything else of the “internal” workings of the Church, to keep its confidence. To think of the victims: the public will judge how the people have been treated who – voluntarily or not – have been harmed.
Place yourself in the perspective of the public
The perceptions of the public are important as is the truth of the events: the problem must be contemplated with the eyes of the public (there is a “tribunal of public opinion”) and if the people think there is a crisis, the crisis already exists.
Take the initiative
It is necessary to try to recover the initiative, to become a source of information, to collaborate with the authorities, and to respond to the media.
Speak with one voice
It is necessary to speak with one voice and to transmit consistent, clear, simple and repeated messages. Voices that contradict one another destroy the confidence of listeners.
Never lie
The key word is “credibility,” to always and only tell the truth. We must never lie, hide the truth or affirm things that are not confirmed. Only one lie destroys credibility.
Bring bad news immediately and in its entirety
Bad news must be communicated soonest and at once (not little by little). If there have been errors, we must ask for pardon. Only thus can we think of being forgiven.
Get legal advice if necessary
In regard to the section on “asking for pardon,” attention must also be paid to the juridical implications, so that responsibilities are not attributed that do not exist. In the most critical cases, a legal consultation is important.
Recent Comments