Crisis Communication Ethos: Honesty

Crisis Communication Ethos: Honesty

Organizations must be honest with their audiences no matter the nature of the crisis, because honesty allows people to prepare themselves for the outcome of the situation. Furthermore, organizations must communicate frequently with their audiences to keep them up-to-date on the crisis situation. Waymer & Heath (2007) explain failure to inform audiences “can lead to a new crisis of organizational legitimacy” (p. 90). Practicing honesty and frequent communication thus helps organizations keep control and effectively handle the situation, and also helps audiences keep calm and focused.