APR Risk Management & Mitigation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The concept of 'organizational resilience' in PR risk management emphasizes:
- Eliminating all foreseeable risks before they occur
- The ability to absorb disruption and adapt while maintaining core functions (Correct answer)
- Maintaining stock price stability during a crisis
- Avoiding media contact until an investigation concludes
Correct answer: The ability to absorb disruption and adapt while maintaining core functions
Organizational resilience is the capacity to withstand, recover from, and adapt to adverse events while continuing normal operations.
Question 2: During a reputational crisis, which stakeholder group should typically be communicated with FIRST?
- General public via mass media
- Internal employees (Correct answer)
- Government regulators
- Competitor organizations
Correct answer: Internal employees
Employees are the most critical internal stakeholders; informing them first prevents rumor spread and enables them to represent the organization accurately to external audiences.
Question 3: A 'dark site' in crisis preparedness is best described as:
- A competitor's website used to monitor threats
- A pre-built web page kept offline until a crisis requires its activation (Correct answer)
- A social media account used anonymously for monitoring
- An encrypted internal communications channel
Correct answer: A pre-built web page kept offline until a crisis requires its activation
A dark site is a fully prepared crisis microsite that remains unpublished until needed, allowing rapid deployment of accurate information during an emergency.
Question 4: Which principle of risk communication suggests organizations should avoid waiting until they have all the facts to communicate with the public?
- Complete information doctrine
- Right-to-know principle
- Tell it all, tell it fast, tell the truth (Correct answer)
- Precautionary principle messaging
Correct answer: Tell it all, tell it fast, tell the truth
The 'tell it all, tell it fast, tell the truth' principle advises sharing available information quickly and honestly, even if incomplete, to maintain credibility and control the narrative.
Question 5: Which type of crisis is characterized by the organization being caught by surprise with no warning signs?
- Smoldering crisis
- Sudden crisis (Correct answer)
- Chronic crisis
- Latent crisis
Correct answer: Sudden crisis
A sudden crisis occurs without warning—such as a natural disaster or unexpected accident—leaving the organization no time for pre-event communication.
Question 6: Post-crisis evaluation in PR risk management should primarily measure:
- How many journalists covered the story
- Whether communication goals were met and what lessons can improve future response (Correct answer)
- The organization's share price recovery timeline
- Which spokesperson received the best media reviews
Correct answer: Whether communication goals were met and what lessons can improve future response
Post-crisis evaluation assesses whether the communication strategy achieved its objectives and identifies process improvements for future crises.
Question 7: A nonprofit's donor data breach becomes public. The MOST appropriate immediate PR response is to:
- Deny any breach until the investigation concludes
- Acknowledge the incident, express concern, and outline corrective steps (Correct answer)
- Redirect all inquiries to cybersecurity vendors
- Announce a fundraising campaign to offset costs
Correct answer: Acknowledge the incident, express concern, and outline corrective steps
Prompt acknowledgment with empathy and concrete action steps signals accountability and helps preserve trust with affected donors.
APR Risk Management & Mitigation 3
The concept of 'organizational resilience' in PR risk management emphasizes: