Handbook of Corporate Communication and Public ... - Blogs Unpad

Figure 19.5
Tesco has statements about
many of the issues the
company manages on its
website
organizations ready to aid communications as
appropriate. It is important that these lists
include information about relevant websites
(and the appropriate webpage), email
addresses and, if available, instant messaging
and online conferencing capability. Part of the
practitioner’s job is networking with such
organizations for normal exchanges between
an organization and its publics and in readiness
for issues management at this level. Such
contacts should not be managed in a haphazard
way but as part of a structured approach to
management of issue. Good record keeping is
essential and a schedule of contacts maintained.
The employee that offers confidential
information in order to hold the company
accountable or to gain unfair benefit or even
as blackmail will require a wider range of
expertise on the part of the practitioner. This
may be available in-house, with a third party
(such as ACAS) and may require a response
that is more robust with police or legal participation.
As the number of people involved
grows, so the organization moves closer to
crisis.
3 Issues really escalate when the threat
looks as though it will become evident in
different communication channels. A threat to
a mediated channel, such as a newspaper,
government department, or established institution,
has the benefit that such organizations
tend to seek more information, the truth or at
least a good story. Good issues management
and effective press relations will keep an issue
in proportion. When the channel for expressing
an opinion or even fact has moved from
internal reporting, conjecture or gossip to a
journalist, discussion list or usenet is a change
of communication channel and is serious. The
issue is now a crisis. The easy way to spot a
crisis is that point in time when information
jumps channels.
The internal (and in many cases associated
external) people involved in this crisis are
often very vulnerable. They will need help
© 2004 Sandra Oliver for editorial matter and selection;
individual chapters, the contributors