PR
Media Release Template With Examples
Copy this media release template, see the standard media release format explained, and use two worked examples for a business announcement and an event.
A crisis communication plan is a written guide to how your organisation will communicate when something goes wrong: who is on the crisis team, who speaks for you, who you need to tell first, what you'll say in the first hour, and how you'll keep people updated. It sits within your wider crisis management plan, which covers the operational response. Writing it before a crisis means you can act quickly, consistently and honestly when it counts.
What is a crisis communication plan?
A crisis communication plan covers the communication side of a crisis: messages, spokespeople, audiences and channels. It answers the questions that cause delays and mistakes under pressure, such as "who approves the statement?" and "do we tell staff or the media first?".
A crisis can be a workplace accident, a product recall, a data breach, a damaging social media post, a natural disaster or a serious complaint that goes public. Many regional organisations also need to plan for floods, fires and extended power or phone outages.
What is a crisis management plan?
A crisis management plan is the wider plan for keeping people safe and the organisation running during a crisis: emergency procedures, business continuity, insurance, legal steps and recovery. Crisis management planning usually covers both the operational response and communication. The crisis management communication plan is the part that deals with what you say and to whom.
What is the purpose of a crisis communication plan?
- Speed: respond within hours, before rumours fill the gap
- Accuracy: one approved set of facts, so nobody contradicts anybody
- Care: reach the people affected first, with empathy
- Trust: show you're taking responsibility and acting
- Calm: give staff a clear process instead of guesswork
What should a crisis communication plan include?
- Crisis team: names, roles, mobile numbers and backups
- Spokesperson: who speaks to media, and who stands in if they can't
- Approval process: who signs off statements, and how fast
- Stakeholder list: staff, customers, families, regulators, insurers, suppliers, council, media, in the order they should hear from you
- Likely scenarios: the crises most likely for your organisation, with a first response for each
- Holding statements: pre-written first messages you can adapt in minutes
- Channels: website, email, SMS, social media, phone and media, with log-ins and who can access them
- Monitoring: how you'll track media and social media during the crisis
- Review: how you'll learn from it afterwards
What does a crisis communication plan example look like?
Here's a sample crisis communication plan outline for a small organisation. Adapt it to your own risks:
| Section | Example content |
|---|---|
| Crisis team | Owner (lead), operations manager, office manager (communications), external PR adviser |
| Spokesperson | Owner; backup: operations manager |
| First hour | Confirm facts, ensure safety, notify the crisis team, post a holding statement |
| First 24 hours | Contact affected people directly, brief staff, issue a media statement, monitor and respond to comments |
| Holding statement | "We're aware of [situation] at [location]. Our first priority is [safety/people affected]. We'll share more information by [time]." |
| Channels | Website notice, Facebook page, email to customers, SMS to staff |
| After the crisis | Debrief within a week, update the plan, thank the people who helped |
How do you make a crisis communication plan?
- List the crises most likely to affect you, from the risks you already know
- Choose your crisis team and spokesperson, and agree who approves messages
- Map your stakeholders and the order you'll contact them
- Write holding statements for your top scenarios
- Gather contact lists, log-ins and templates in one place, on paper and online
- Walk through a scenario with your team once a year and update the plan
Why is it important to have a crisis management plan?
Because the first hours set the story. Organisations that respond quickly and honestly are usually judged more kindly than those that go quiet or get the facts wrong. A plan also protects your people: staff aren't left to answer media calls or angry comments without guidance.
What we see when regional organisations face a crisis
In a regional town, news travels fast and personally. Customers, staff and journalists often know each other, and a Facebook post can reach the whole community within hours. The organisations that struggle are usually those with no agreed spokesperson, social media passwords held by one person who's away, and no plan for who to tell first.
Our PR team includes people with decades of experience in public relations and journalism. Our crisis communications service helps organisations write their plan before they need it and supports them through a crisis, and our public relations team handles media enquiries and statements. Read more about what public relations covers.
Frequently asked questions
What is a crisis management plan in Australia?
The idea is the same as anywhere: a plan for responding to incidents that threaten people, operations or reputation. Australian organisations should also check their obligations to regulators, such as WorkSafe for workplace incidents and the notifiable data breaches scheme for privacy breaches.
How long should a crisis communication plan be?
Short enough to use under pressure. Many small organisations manage with a few pages plus contact lists and templates. A one-page summary for the first hour is worth having.
Who should be the spokesperson in a crisis?
Usually the most senior person available who can speak calmly and accurately. Train a backup. In some crises, a technical expert may answer specific questions alongside them.
How often should a crisis communication plan be updated?
Review it at least once a year, and whenever staff, contact details or your main risks change.
Should we post on social media during a crisis?
Yes, if your audience is there. Post a short holding statement early, update when you said you would, and reply to questions consistently with your other statements.
Want help writing your plan? Contact Rock Solid Marketing and speak with our PR team.
