Why good comms practices are more important than ever

When looking to address the coronavirus outbreak, communicators are well-served by best practices that have been in place for years.

Pitching relevant information to reporters, making sure your information is timely and accurate, and other time-honored traditions of the PR trade are even more important in a crisis.

PRSA Chair Garland Stansell shared a few thoughts with us about how PR pros can help their organizations and communities:

PR Daily: Misinformation and sensationalism have become big problems for communicators around the coronavirus. How can communicators combat the panic?

Stansell: First and foremost, it’s important for communicators themselves to remain calm and not let the wish for expediency get in the way of the need for accuracy. One way to help combat panic is to point consumers to reputable and respected sources of information. For example, there are numerous local and national agencies with experience and expertise surrounding the coronavirus and who’ve dealt with similar situations in the past. They can be relied upon to provide reliable facts and figures in a timely manner.

PR Daily: What should communicators be talking about? Share some concrete steps/actions.