ABC Crisis Communication 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a product recall crisis, which audience should typically receive notification FIRST?
- General public via press release
- Shareholders via Form 8-K filing
- Retailers and distributors who hold the product (Correct answer)
- Industry trade journalists
Correct answer: Retailers and distributors who hold the product
Retailers and distributors must be notified first so they can pull the product from shelves before the public is informed, preventing further harm.
Question 2: The 'golden hour' concept in crisis communication refers to:
- The first 60 minutes after a crisis breaks, when initial response sets the narrative (Correct answer)
- A prime-time TV slot for crisis press conferences
- The hour before market open when statements should be released
- Time allotted for CEO media training before a crisis
Correct answer: The first 60 minutes after a crisis breaks, when initial response sets the narrative
The golden hour is the critical first 60 minutes in which organizations must communicate to prevent misinformation from filling the vacuum.
Question 3: An organization discovers a false rumor spreading on social media about its product causing illness. The BEST initial response is to:
- Ignore it and monitor whether it grows
- Immediately issue a factual correction with supporting evidence (Correct answer)
- File a defamation lawsuit against the source
- Ask social platforms to remove all related posts
Correct answer: Immediately issue a factual correction with supporting evidence
Factual corrections issued quickly with credible evidence are the most effective way to counter false rumors before they become entrenched narratives.
Question 4: In crisis communication planning, a 'trigger matrix' is used to:
- Rank journalists by their influence during crises
- Define which types of incidents activate which level of crisis response (Correct answer)
- Schedule social media posts during a crisis
- Map legal liability across business units
Correct answer: Define which types of incidents activate which level of crisis response
A trigger matrix links specific crisis scenarios to predetermined response levels, ensuring teams activate the correct protocols without deliberating under pressure.
Question 5: What does 'compassion fatigue' mean in the context of crisis communication strategy?
- When spokespeople become emotionally exhausted from repeated crises
- When audiences grow desensitized and less responsive to repeated crisis appeals (Correct answer)
- When media stops covering a crisis after initial interest
- When donations to a crisis relief fund stall
Correct answer: When audiences grow desensitized and less responsive to repeated crisis appeals
Compassion fatigue describes audience desensitization that sets in when they are repeatedly exposed to crisis messaging, reducing impact over time.
Question 6: Which crisis communication strategy involves proactively acknowledging a known vulnerability before media reports it?
- Stonewalling
- Strategic silence
- Stealing thunder (Correct answer)
- Crisis inoculation
Correct answer: Stealing thunder
Stealing thunder means disclosing negative information yourself before others report it, which research shows reduces reputational damage compared to reactive disclosure.
Question 7: A CEO issues an apology during a crisis that includes the phrase 'I'm sorry you feel that way.' This statement is problematic because:
- It uses first-person language inappropriately
- It is a non-apology that shifts blame to the audience's perception (Correct answer)
- It personalizes the crisis too much
- It commits the organization to financial liability
Correct answer: It is a non-apology that shifts blame to the audience's perception
This phrasing implies the audience's reaction is the problem rather than the organization's actions, making it a pseudo-apology that erodes trust.
ABC Crisis Communication 3
During a product recall crisis, which audience should typically receive notification FIRST?