Mike McCurry, a former White House press secretary in the Clinton Administration, discusses the best practices for spokespeople, who he thinks are role models for today's spokespersons to follow, and why top company officials should be seen and heard in a crisis in this week's episode of Edward Segal's "Crisis Ahead" podcast.
McCurry said that skepticism is at the top of his list of qualifications or characteristics for someone who is the spokesperson for a company that is having a crisis. "Don't believe everything you get told by every general manager who's trying to cover their ass," he advised.
McCurry, who previously served as a spokesperson for the US Department of State, said getting the story straight in a crisis "…is a very very hard thing to do. It is hard to deaccelerate the momentum of the pressure that you get from the media now, particularly social media…" He told Segal that, "everything moves at such a throbbing pace [in a crisis] and sometimes getting the facts together and getting the truth too so you can present it — it takes a little bit of time."
McCurry's interview can be seen on YouTube at https://youtu.be/dcMVlp7Ajfk and heard on Apple, Google and other podcast sites including Podbean at https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-ii4ns-ecf738.
"Crisis Ahead" is produced by Heartcast Media.
About the Podcast
Each episode of Segal's "Crisis Ahead" podcast examines how organizations and individuals in the news are dealing with crisis situations and the lessons to be learned from their successes and failures. Recent guests include Uber's former head of communications, PR veteran Richard Levick; the spokesperson for Michigan's Department of the Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; and trial attorney Shane Read.
Guests have shared their insights about a range of timely topics such as how Uber handles crises, VW's bungled response to dieselgate, the dangers posed by TikTok, best practices for handling the media during a crisis, the deaths of American tourists at resorts in the Dominican Republic, and Boston Public Library's response to the pandemic,
The podcast is based on Segal's new book on crisis management — "Crisis Ahead: 101 Ways to Prepare for and Bounce Back from Disasters, Scandals, and Other Emergencies" (Nicholas Brealey).
About the Book
"Crisis Ahead" was rated the #1 best crisis management book to read in July 2020 by BookAuthority.org. The American Library Association's book review website said, "This book's practical advice for advanced planning makes it a valuable addition to the shelves of any business collection." See the review at
https://www.booklistonline.com/Crisis-Ahead-101-Ways-to-Prepare-for-and-Bounce-Back-from-Disasters-Scandals-and-Other-Emergencies-Edward-Segal/pid=9734321
"Crisis Ahead" is available as a paperback and ebook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and independent book stores via this link: https://publicrelations.com/order-book/. The book features dozens of anecdotes, stories, and lessons about how companies, organizations, and individuals — ranging from Amazon, Apple, and the European Union to Disney, Starbucks, and entrepreneur Elon Musk— have prepared for, created, managed, and communicated about crisis situations. It features a discussion about the early crisis management lessons that can be learned from the pandemic and includes a template for a crisis management and communication plan that can be customized for the needs of any company or organization.
About Edward Segal
Segal has more than 30 years' experience as a crisis management expert. He managed crisis situations as the CEO of two trade associations; advised and helped organizations survive disasters, scandals, and emergencies including the arrest and firing of corporate officers, hate crimes, and sexual harassment; and conducted crisis management and communication training for hundreds of executives and their staffs.
For more information about "Crisis Ahead" go to http://www.publicrelations.com.
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