Crisis Communications: Read Before You Rant!

Last week I received an angry email from a colleague who objected to one of my recent articles and demanded to be removed from my email list. In honoring his request, I noted that he had never even read the article to which he was objecting. He had made an assumption about the content and then acted on it.

At about the same time, I was preparing a blog on the legislation authorizing the military detention of civilians that was included in the recent defense appropriations bill. You may have recalled that the legislation purported to allow the detention without trial of US citizens suspected of terrorism. Fortunately, I took the time to read the legislation and found that it specifically prohibited the detention of US citizens (see Section 1032, b-1). Now, I have my concerns about the legislation and its overall intent but my point is that every article I have read on the internet and on my social media sites includes the phrase, "including US citizens". Someone made an assumption, passed it off as fact, and others have continued to spread it without verification. I almost did it myself.

So the lesson here is clear: take the time to check your facts before passing on inflammatory information. You can't assume that everything you read on the internet is true (duh!). If you're the victim of such disinformation, you need to act quickly to counter it with solid facts. Once the horse has left the barn, it's difficult to catch!

Comments

[Susan Rink]

Excellent advice! I'm always amused/appalled by people who simply parrot what they have heard on talk radio (either left- or right-leaning) rather than do some quick research on an issue before passing on an inflammatory email or posting a comment on a blog or Facebook page. This is even more damaging in the workplace, when unsubstantiated claims are passed on through the grapevine.

[Lucien Canton]

Thanks for your comments, Susan. We've always had problems with rumors and misinformation. I think what's changing is the speed with which bad info can propagate via social media. On the other hand, as a colleague of mine recently commented, our ability to recognize and correct bad info has also increased. Sadly, not too many people seem to take advantage of this.