Crisis PR is ‘all about concise messaging’ and two more lessons from the NFL lockout

Keep your hand raised if you know what “locked out” actually means, and continue to keep your hand raised proudly if you can succinctly explain the points of contention between the owners and the players.

Those who still have their hands raised are either lawyers or sports fanatics, and these two groups are probably not reading this blog. So, I’ll keep my explanation simple: NFL owners and players are fighting over a pool of money, and the entire country might lose out on Sunday football this year if they can’t find a compromise.

After months of public debate and closed-door meetings, however, both parties are apparently close to reaching a resolution, and NFL insiders are saying the lockout could end soon.

As a former sportswriter turned PR pro, I couldn’t resist the urge to examine the dispute more closely from a public relations perspective, as I try to determine what (if anything) the industry could learn from this highly visible money grab.

1. Crisis communication is all about concise messaging and positioning.