ABC Crisis Communication 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which principle of crisis communication states that organizations should acknowledge uncertainty rather than speculate when facts are unknown?
- Transparency without speculation (Correct answer)
- The vacuum principle
- Proactive disclosure
- Strategic ambiguity
Correct answer: Transparency without speculation
Transparency without speculation means admitting what you do not yet know rather than guessing, which preserves credibility.
Question 2: In the Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), which cluster represents crises where the organization has minimal responsibility, such as natural disasters?
- Preventable cluster
- Intentional cluster
- Victim cluster (Correct answer)
- Accidental cluster
Correct answer: Victim cluster
The victim cluster in SCCT includes natural disasters and product tampering where the organization is also harmed, carrying minimal attribution of responsibility.
Question 3: A spokesperson is asked a loaded question during a crisis press conference. The BEST technique for redirecting without being evasive is:
- Refusing to answer and walking away
- Bridging to key messages after briefly acknowledging the question (Correct answer)
- Asking the reporter to rephrase
- Deferring all questions to legal counsel
Correct answer: Bridging to key messages after briefly acknowledging the question
Bridging acknowledges the question, then transitions to prepared key messages, keeping the spokesperson in control while remaining responsive.
Question 4: Which metric is MOST useful for evaluating the effectiveness of crisis communication in the immediate 24-hour period after an incident?
- Long-term brand sentiment score
- Share of voice in earned media
- Accuracy and speed of initial public statement (Correct answer)
- Number of social media followers gained
Correct answer: Accuracy and speed of initial public statement
In the first 24 hours, the accuracy and timeliness of the initial statement is the primary benchmark because it sets the tone for all subsequent coverage.
Question 5: When a crisis involves multiple organizations, establishing a Unified Command structure primarily serves to:
- Give one company legal immunity
- Coordinate messaging and avoid contradictions across organizations (Correct answer)
- Reduce the number of spokespeople to one per city
- Transfer liability to the largest partner
Correct answer: Coordinate messaging and avoid contradictions across organizations
Unified Command aligns spokespersons from multiple entities so that public statements remain consistent and do not create confusion or contradiction.
Question 6: The 'dark site' strategy in crisis digital communication refers to:
- Removing the corporate website during a crisis
- A pre-built webpage activated only when a crisis occurs (Correct answer)
- A social media account used for negative feedback
- Encrypting internal crisis documents
Correct answer: A pre-built webpage activated only when a crisis occurs
A dark site is a crisis-ready webpage kept offline and launched immediately when an incident occurs, providing accurate information rapidly.
Question 7: Which ethical obligation is MOST fundamental to crisis communicators under the IABC Code of Ethics?
- Protecting the organization's stock price above all else
- Communicating truthfully even when facts are unfavorable (Correct answer)
- Withholding information until approved by legal
- Prioritizing positive media coverage over accuracy
Correct answer: Communicating truthfully even when facts are unfavorable
The IABC Code of Ethics requires communicators to disseminate accurate information, even when it reflects poorly on the organization.
ABC Crisis Communication 2
Which principle of crisis communication states that organizations should acknowledge uncertainty rather than speculate when facts are unknown?