Parties must improve crisis communication

HumeJohnson, Guest Columnist

The arrest of two of its parish council representatives, Michael Troupe and Sylvan Reid, on criminal charges is a crisis for the People's National Party (PNP) government. Most public-relations texts describe a crisis as an extraordinary event that adversely affects the integrity of a product, the reputation or financial stability of an organisation, or the health and well-being of employees, the community or the public at large.

From the Dudus extradition saga and the Manatt enquiry, to the Montego Bay flag fiasco and the recent lotto scam arrests, Jamaica's main political parties have faced a series of public challenges and crises that have exposed the severe weaknesses in their PR arms. Crucially, the parties' increasingly obvious inability to handle communication in times of crisis and respond effectively is problematic - for their image, the publics they serve, and governance, more broadly.

All organisations will face crisis. When crisis strikes, communication is critical to protecting the organisation's reputation and ability to fulfil its mission. Because an organisation's reputation is directly related to the public's perception of it, it is vital that organisations have a plan to quickly and effectively combat a crisis.

Yet this is precisely where our political parties are failing. Quick and effective crisis response is currently not the strong points of both the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the PNP.

After the recent arrest of PNP parish councillors, it took several days before the executive of the PNP offered a comprehensive response. No doubt, some MPs were seen making scattershot comments on the issue when confronted by the media, and later a hurried, ill-conceived statement was sent out to' the media, effectively telling the nation that a response will be forthcoming. It took another two days before a sloppy, indecisive, dithering drivel was delivered at a press conference.

Indeed, this kind of response to crisis communication is not new. It took public pressure from an enraged citizenry before a genuine response from the PNP Government was offered for the flag incident in Montego Bay where the colour green was left off a representation of the Jamaican flag during the swearing-in of Mayor Glendon Harris. An apology to the nation, which ultimately came from Local Government Minister Noel Arscott, was two weeks late!

IMMEDIATE RESPONSE ESSENTIAL

For any organisation, large or small, when an emergency occurs, the requirement to communicate is immediate. For one thing, if normal organisational operations are disrupted, people will want information. It is upon their patronage and, favourable opinion that successful organisations exist, that political parties stay in power.

Genuine and effective public relations require that organisations not only establish and maintain, through deliberate planning, positive relationships with their various publics, but also seek to repair those relationships when some circumstances or another cause them to go awry. Communication is the essential tool by which relationships are developed and maintained.

In the case of the councillors, their constituents will want to know how they will be impacted. Indeed, it is essential and appropriate that all of the party's publics - party supporters, sponsors, delegates, as well as the media and the Jamaican citizenry - be notified as to what steps the Government is taking to resolve the situation and bring back a sense of normality to the business of government. Non-responses, silence, no comment and delayed responses are suicidal in crisis communication.

The first 24 hours of a crisis is seen as the 'golden hour'. If you lose the opportunity to respond during this time, rumours begin to circulate, further negative media attention is drawn to the issue; the media try to get information anywhere they can, forcing the organisation into a defensive position.

This is what has happened to the PNP and the JLP in the past. Indeed, the gap between the incident of the arrest and the PNP's non-response allowed the Opposition to jump in and set the agenda by asking for the resignation of the parish councillors.

In other words, effective crisis communication would've helped the PNP to set the agenda itself. That the party made some comment is good, but it must also become mindful of the nature of the comments it makes and what those comments are communicating to its publics about the character of the organisation.

MANAGING CRISES

In crisis situations, an organisation's publics also want to know what to expect in the future if or when such events recur. The organisation itself is obliged to decide upon a position that it will take when it is faced with a crisis or challenging issue. Unfortunately, neither of Jamaica's two main political parties appears to have a crisis communication plan, or any clear POSITION on how it will react in situations such as the one currently confronting the PNP. The result is that the party came across as ineffective and untrustworthy.

For example, when a party member and representative of the people is arrested, the parties must be clear on what disciplinary or other procedure or action they will take internally to deal with the matter, and to protect its reputation and credibility. Given that this is not the first time a political represen-tative has been charged, it is incredibly disappointing that political parties have no clear position on how to handle the situation.

For example: Is there a leave of absence allowed? For how long? Who decides? Should this be on the individual's own initiative or shall the party set rules by which it will act if there are breaches of conduct? Allowing the councillors to decide their own fate is a weak response. Those within the service of the State cannot serve to undermine it, or be perceived to be at odds with its principles. To address this spectre of chaos at the party level is crucial.

PNP Credibility Under Threat

Perception
is reality, and in politics, this is even more so. The perception given
at the PNP press conference on the arrests is that it not only has no
set rules or procedures to follow in crisis, no clear plans to protect
its credibility, but, more specifically, it has a dubious ethical
agenda, preferring to await legal outcomes and for individual members to
decide what to do.

This is suicidal from a public-relations
perspective. It cannot be that one waits for legal outcomes. This is far
too open-ended. It is not a platform on which trust and confidence and
credibility can be restored. Citizens and the media are rightly
concerned.

Whatever the crisis, being honest and taking
responsibility when it is yours to take will lead to the story
disappearing from headlines sooner rather than later. For parties
struggling under the burden of corruption, public non-confidence and
distrust, and desperate to show that that they are transparent and
accountable, it is important to use crises to reinforce their name and
commitment to democratic principles.

This is not the time for the
PNP to buckle morally. It needs to be strident in its opposition to
wrongdoing. Indeed, if from the perspective of political spin doctoring
anywhere, this is easy spin.

To unearth criminality and corruption
even within your own ranks is a symbol of improving governance. It is
not something to be dismayed about. This arrest of councillors shows the
seriousness of the police force in stamping out criminality and to
illustrate that no one is above the law.

These are all positive
developments. Yet the PNP sounded as if it was merely protecting its own
at the press conference. The absence of outrage was far too obvious.
This was an opportunity for the party to acknowledge the work of the
police in fighting organised crime.

The party also missed the
opportunity to reinforce the principles of integrity, transparency and
accountability on which it stands, campaigned and on which many
Jamaicans voted.

A predetermined, proactive crisis communications
process is essential in maintaining public trust. A well-designed
communications plan reflects your organisation's commitment to honesty,
transparency, and responsibility. By having a plan in place, you are
preparing your staff to effectively handle communications-related issues
that arise during a crisis.

Dr Hume Johnson is an assistant
professor of public relations at Roger Williams University, Rhode
Island. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and
humejohnson@gmail.com.