Crisis Communication Skills

Program Overview

When a crisis breaks, the first hours of communication often shape public trust more than the incident itself. This course builds the skills to communicate under pressure: preparing a crisis communication plan, drafting holding statements, choosing and coaching spokespersons, handling hostile media interviews, monitoring and responding on social media, countering rumours and keeping employees and partners informed. Participants apply Situational Crisis Communication Theory to choose response strategies and practise bilingual Arabic and English messaging that fits the expectations of Gulf audiences and official channels.

Learning Outcomes

• ✓Develop a crisis communication plan with roles, approval routes and pre-approved message templates.
• ✓Draft a holding statement and key messages within the first hour of a simulated incident.
• ✓Select a response strategy appropriate to crisis type and responsibility attribution using SCCT.
• ✓Perform as a spokesperson in a recorded media interview and handle difficult questions.
• ✓Monitor social media sentiment and respond to misinformation with verified facts.
• ✓Plan internal and stakeholder communication through the recovery phase.

Target Audience

• Corporate communication and public relations managers
• Official spokespersons and media relations officers
• Crisis management team members
• Social media and digital communication specialists

Detailed Program Modules

Training Methodology

Applied Project & Assessment