People want to hear from someone with the power to clean up what went wrong. Many firms put together a group of individuals responsible for implementing a plan once a crisis occurs. Depending on the size of your company, the team can be as small as three people or as large as 10. Decide on the group's chain of command and inform your employees. Compose a list of contact information for every member of the team including home phone, beeper, car phone, e-mail address and any other means of getting in touch with them.
Correct information allows for clear, concise and honest answers.
Although remaining silent might be your initial response, the best way to control the kind of information that is released to and through the media is to provide the details, not withhold them. You will antagonize the media if they think you are trying to cover something up. Do not forget your employees during a time of crisis. Be sure they know how to interact with the media and where to direct inquiries. As information is collected and made public, obtain and share it with them.