Using Public Relations to Handle Crisis Situations

The U.S. Army has had many issues to address in the post 9-11 world. In looking at some of the more well known crises they’ve faced, we can see how the effective use of public relations can make a major impact on public perception. There was no shortage of poor public relations practices during the prisoner abuse scandal at Abu-Ghraib prison in Iraq.

By mishandling this crisis the Army demonstrated exactly what not to do, especially when the stakes are so high. They set themselves up for failure from day one by having no crisis management plan. The underlying theme in their problem was a lack of accountability and truthfulness with the American public. Inability to address the problem in a timely manner as well as a shoddy information flow has caused the Army its largest black eye since the war on terror began.

Though the Army is still far from scandal free, it has learned from its past mistakes. Through the use of public relations they have been able to turn a potential matching black eye into an opportunity for improvement. Stories about substandard living conditions at the Army’s Walter Reed Veteran’s Hospital have flooded the news in recent weeks. Instead of pointing fingers and trying to place blame elsewhere, the Army was quick to take responsibility for the problem. By recognizing that a problem exists and explaining why, they can request additional resources to solve the problem.

This approach facilitates the need for a new proactive public relation campaign that can be used to document the Army’s willingness to care for its veterans. Keeping the flow of information open and accurate will go a long way in serving the American public’s demands for up to the minute information.

Public relations practices can’t always put an immediate end to negative publicity, but it can reduce the chances of a bad situation snowballing into a worse situation.