The last time I listened to David Leibowitz was almost a decade ago as a student at the Cronkite school.  David was a well-known radio host in Phoneix and since then has started his firm, Leibowitz Solo. He  shared some gems in crisis communications at a meeting organized recently by the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce. Below are simple, common sense nuggets from David that we often forget in panick mode:

• Always be prepared. Build your team, know your stakeholders, anticipate, prepare and practice.
• When you are in a hole, stop digging. Gather accurate information quickly, develop key messages and stick to the same message across different media.
• If there’s a problem, publicly acknowledge it instead of hiding.
• Tell the truth. Avoid “No comment.”
• Have the candor to take action, minimize confusion and find the truth.
• Be a human being, not a spokesperson. Show empathy as compassion is mission-critical.