Crisis Communication and Reputation Management Courses

Crisis communication planning is the bedrock for formulating your organization’s anticipation of and reaction to crisis situations. When endorsed by the highest tiers of an organization, item powers communication leaders to drive their decision making with confidence and to have the toolkit needed to protect an organization’s reputation and outcome management. This course will guide students in researching, developing, and gaining adoption of a crisis communication management plan for their selected organization.

As part of the development of their crisis communication plan, students will be introduced to the philosophies, components, and tools that make up this blueprint for navigating crisis situations. Students will also explore the guiding dynamics of managing a crisis team and developing relationships with key publics. When including additional components developed throughout this six-unit certificate program, students will accomplish the significant feat of developing a completed crisis communication plan for their chosen organization.

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify the members, components and logistics for building and managing a crisis team
• Recognize potential crises for your organization
• Develop potential courses of action for common crisis needs
• Create tools needed to negotiate crises

Courses are designed for working professionals and delivered asynchronously for maximum flexibility. While lectures are completed on each student’s schedule, instructors are active in the classroom through discussion boards and personalized feedback that connect learning to real-world practice. In the first week of class, students are invited to an optional live, online Meet Up to discuss current topics, ask questions, and build their professional network.

• Week 1: Foundations for Crisis Planning, Challenges You’ll Face, & Beginning Your Plan
• Week 2: What Might Be Crises, Their Triggers, & Initial Actions
• Week 3: Designated Spokespersons, Media Policies, & Reacting When A Crisis Blows Up
• Week 4: Early Messaging and Appendix Content

Crisis is inevitable in today’s evolving, real-time, media and consumer sharing culture. That is why it is imperative to be prepared and have the confidence to help guide and counsel your organization should and when one arises. A pre-developed crisis plan, or playbook, is necessary in these times of crisis, however, to make the execution of your plan truly successful, you’ll need strategies that really speak to your audiences, and these could be the difference between your company managing and protecting its reputation or dangerously wounding it.

This 4-week online course will introduce several key strategies a communications professional should consider when faced with a crisis to help minimize the potential reputational risk and re-instill the confidence in the company amongst its colleagues and consumers. Through relevant lectures, readings and content, reflection questions and discussions, and development of applicable tools/resources, this course will help prepare students to more confidently evaluate and recommend potential crisis response strategies.

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Develop a core set of crisis response strategies
• Evaluate which crisis response strategies should be considered and for what key stakeholder audiences (internal and external)
• Assess the effectiveness of media relations from selected past crisis events
• Analyze the impact of response strategies on organizational reputation

Courses are designed for working professionals and delivered asynchronously for maximum flexibility. While lectures are completed on each student’s schedule, instructors are active in the classroom through discussion boards and personalized feedback that connect learning to real-world practice. In the first week of class, students are invited to an optional live, online Meet Up to discuss current topics, ask questions, and build their professional network.

• Week 1: Understanding the Types of Crisis Communication Strategies
• Week 2: Why (& When) to Implement A Crisis Response Strategy
• Week 3: Effectively responding to media’s (traditional and/or social) inquiries/commentary during an issue/crisis.
• Week 4: Analyzing the impact of response strategies on organizational reputation

In this course, students will understand branding and related communication strategies applied during crisis events, including key messaging and other tools for internal and external crisis communication.

Students will develop a comprehensive set of techniques for responding to active crisis scenarios. As part of the crisis response strategies, students will also reflect on and assess the role of new and traditional media for an effective crisis responses.

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Develop key messages depicting the organization’s values during a crisis event
• Produce tailored messages for internal and external publics during a crisis event
• Create tools for internal and external crisis communication

Courses are designed for working professionals and delivered asynchronously for maximum flexibility. While lectures are completed on each student’s schedule, instructors are active in the classroom through discussion boards and personalized feedback that connect learning to real-world practice. In the first week of class, students are invited to an optional live, online Meet Up to discuss current topics, ask questions, and build their professional network.

• Week 1: Messaging Development for Crisis Preparedness
• Week 2: Considering Key Stakeholders
• Week 3: Communicating Internally To Build Advocacy
• Week 4: Preparing for Media Interviews

Crisis and issues management are critical components for business, government and non-profit organizations and a way to manage risk in today’s rapidly changing culture and business environment. We all have something to say, and we can be certain that the media will want to be involved if a crisis occurs. Sometimes the media wants to play “gotcha,” or perhaps they are seeking information for the public interest in an effort to do the right thing. Nevertheless, we must respect the media’s place in society and culture and learn to coexist with them in good times and in times of crisis.

As part of a well-developed crisis plan, it is important to factor in the media and the proper way to engage media during a crisis. “No comment,” and no engagement with the media during a crisis is not an option. They will create their story about the crisis with or without your participation. It is far better to try to participate and ensure your organization's voice is heard and well-represented.

This four-week online course will introduce several key strategies a communications professional should consider during a crisis. When faced with a crisis, the goal is to help minimize the potential reputational risk. The response should either maintain or restore confidence in the company among internal and external stakeholders. Through relevant lectures, readings, and content, reflection questions and discussions, and the development of applicable tools/resources, this course will help prepare students to more confidently evaluate and engage media as part of the recommended crisis response strategies.

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Develop media-friendly talking points/key messages for a crisis.
• Demonstrate confidence in media engagement during a crisis with a focus on strategies and responding to trick/hostile questions from the media.
• Prepare for engagement with media, including choosing spokespeople, and integrating internal and external organizational needs and considerations.
• Build expertise in one-on-one coaching of message delivery and media management for the generalist (i.e. CEO and subject matter experts), ensuring they are trained to their strength

Courses are designed for working professionals and delivered asynchronously for maximum flexibility. While lectures are completed on each student’s schedule, instructors are active in the classroom through discussion boards and personalized feedback that connect learning to real-world practice. In the first week of class, students are invited to an optional live, online Meet Up to discuss current topics, ask questions, and build their professional network.

• Week 1: Tenets of Media Relations, Developing Talking Points, and Understanding the Types of Crisis Communication Strategies.
• Week 2: Demonstrate confidence in media engagement during a crisis with a focus on strategies and responding to trick/hostile questions from the media.
• Week 3: Engagement with media and choosing spokespeople – internal and external considerations.
• Week 4: Delivery and Media Management for the CEO or Spokesperson.

Risk and reputation management is crucial for maintaining and enhancing the standing of an organization in the eyes of its stakeholders. This course empowers communication leaders to understand, anticipate, and mitigate risks that could impact their organization's reputation. By developing robust strategies and tools, students will learn to protect and enhance the organization’s reputation even in the face of crises. This course will guide students in researching, developing, and gaining adoption of a comprehensive risk and reputation management plan for their selected organization.

Throughout this four-week online course, students will be introduced to the philosophies, components, and tools necessary to manage risks and protect organizational reputation. They will explore the dynamics of identifying and evaluating risks, developing communication strategies, and building relationships with key stakeholders. By the end of the course, students will have developed a detailed risk and reputation management assessment tailored to their chosen organization.

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify key models pertaining to risk and reputation management.
• Develop an assessment of operational risks and vulnerabilities on behalf of their organization.
• Evaluate strategies for best practices in reputation management including image building during and after a crisis event.
• Create and implement successful ethical decision-making tools to navigate through the challenging gray areas of crisis response.

Courses are designed for working professionals and delivered asynchronously for maximum flexibility. While lectures are completed on each student’s schedule, instructors are active in the classroom through discussion boards and personalized feedback that connect learning to real-world practice. In the first week of class, students are invited to an optional live, online Meet Up to discuss current topics, ask questions, and build their professional network.

• Week 1: Foundations and Models for Risk and Reputation Management
• Week 2: Best Practices in Reputation Management
• Week 3: Developing Risk Mitigation Strategies and Repairing Reputations
• Week 4: Developing An Ethical Decision-Making Model

Crisis communication is most effective when organizations have well-trained spokespeople who have a positive impact on their target audiences. PR pros can be called upon to be the face of their organization during crisis situations, or maybe coaching other spokespeople. Each student will have two individual sessions working with a media training expert to refine their own skills or polish their abilities to guide others. One session will occur early in the program, with the second near the end.

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Prepare to be a future media spokesperson or polishing their existing spokesperson skills.
• Learn to effectively develop or refine their persona as an organizational spokesperson.
• Coach others who may be subject matter experts and in front of media

One-on-one coaching, includes techniques to overcome concerns, identify blind spots, how to bridge from a tough question to what you "want" to say, vs. what you should say, etc. Session customized to your needs, flexing to your background and desired career path