Communications Managers (Public Relations)
Plan, organise, direct, control and coordinate the public relations activities within organisations.
The first hour
You are the communications manager of a charity that runs a community health centre, and it is Monday, 7:10am. A local radio host has just told your phone that a rumour is spreading: the centre is closing its weekend service. It is not true, but you do not yet know where it started, and people are already commenting.
Choose what you would do. Then see what happens. There are often good reasons for each choice.
I only just saw it. Do we reply right now, or wait until we know where it came from? I do not want to make things worse by saying the wrong thing. What do you recommend?
Wait until you have the whole story before saying anything
You avoid saying something wrong, but by nine the rumour has grown and people are calling the centre in distress. Silence is also a message, and it was a slow one.
Post a firm denial that the weekend service is closing, and name the person you think started it
The denial calms some people, but the person you named turns out to be wrong. Now you have a second problem and an angry stranger demanding an apology.
Post a short, clear update that the weekend service continues, and say you will share more as you learn it
People get the fact they care about first, and they know more will follow. In a fast-moving situation, say what you know, say what you do not, and say when you will update.
I have a source saying there were cuts discussed at your last board meeting. Is the weekend service under threat or not? I need a comment by noon, and I will run the story either way.
Decline to comment on anything the board discusses, as a matter of policy
The story runs with a line saying the charity declined to comment. It reads as if you are hiding something, and the speculation fills the gap.
Check the facts with Brigid, then say plainly what is and is not under review
Matthew gets something he can quote, and the story is balanced. Journalists have deadlines, and a clear, honest answer is the best way to be represented fairly.
Tell him off the record that nothing is going to change, to be safe, and ask him to hold the story
You do not actually know that. Two weeks later a review recommends a change, and your assurance looks careless. Never say anything to a journalist you could not stand behind in print.
I have drafted a post that says the rumour is nonsense and calls out people for spreading it. It feels good to write. Should I put it up? I think it will show we are strong.
Post it, since a confident tone will show the charity has nothing to hide, and the rumour needs calling out
The post picks a fight with the very community the charity serves. It spreads for the wrong reasons, and some of the people you meant to reassure feel accused.
Ask her to rewrite it warmly and factually, with where people can ask questions
Neha's second version is calm and kind, and people share it because it helps. She learns that tone matters as much as truth, and that strength can sound gentle.
Tell her not to post anything at all, because you are handling it and want one voice
You keep control of the message, but Neha learns nothing, and you are now writing every update alone. A good manager shapes the work, rather than doing it all.
How it went
By midday the rumour has faded, the paper has run a fair line and the phones are quieter. Communications work means choosing words carefully when many people are listening and the clock is running. Do you think you could stay calm and clear in the first hour of a problem?
This is a simplified, fictional situation to help you explore. It is not professional instruction or a test of your ability.
Case study: The post that went the wrong way
A fictional case set in the communications office of a fictional regional hospital foundation and community services charity.
The situation
Bellbird Community Services ran meals and transport for older people. One Friday afternoon, a junior social media officer posted a cheerful photo of a volunteer with a client, thanking them both. The client's daughter saw it and wrote a furious comment: her mother had not agreed to the photo being shared. Within an hour, the comment had been shared widely, and a local newspaper asked for a statement. Communications manager Sione Taufa was at his child's sports carnival with his phone buzzing.
What they did
Sione took the post down straight away and called the daughter himself that evening to apologise without excuses. He wrote a short statement for the newspaper that said what went wrong, what had been done and what would change. He did not blame the junior officer, who was already upset. On Monday, he and the team wrote a clear permission process for photos and walked everyone through it.
How it turned out
The newspaper ran a brief, fair story. The daughter thanked Sione for ringing, though she remained unhappy about what had happened. The officer stayed, and later led the new photo permission check. Sione kept a short guide on what to do in the first hour of any problem.
What would you do?
- Why did Sione call the daughter himself instead of sending a written apology?
- How would you have supported the junior officer, and why does that matter?
- What do you think is the hardest part of speaking for an organisation when something has gone wrong?