Crisis communications: Challenges for the waste-to-energy industry

Crisis communications is the ability to convey clear, concise, believable and caring messages to your organization`s various publics or stakeholders when the unexpected negative event occurs. The event is usually, but not always, something catastrophic or of an emergency nature that adversely affects an organization directly, and/or adversely affects one or more of that organization`s publics. Crisis communications is a skill, a tool, a resource base and professional discipline upon which individuals and organizations can draw when confronted with an unexpected and potentially damaging event. It is a resource to draw upon to maximize the opportunity for positive outcomes even in the worst of situations. At a minimum, it can help an organization keep a bad situation from getting worse.