Crisis Management in 140 Words or Less: Adapting Your Approach to Crises in the Social Media Age

Click here to listen to the audio recording (.mp3) from this webinar.

Join Steptoe & Johnson LLP and Edelman for a complimentary webinar - Crisis Management in 140 Words or Less: Adapting Your Approach to Crises in the Social Media Age.

Date: December 3, 2009

Time: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. EST

Not long ago, the communication landscape was radically different. Traditional media set agendas by presenting information that represented unchallenged “truth.” Venerable CBS anchor Walter Cronkite signed off nightly by telling us, “And that’s the way it is.”

Advances in technology broke that model with free and easy-to-use tools that allowed anyone to become a publisher. The result produced a wave of citizen journalists via blogs, social networks, and other online communities that created a new class of influencers on any given issue. Now, information in morning newspapers is often obsolete by the time it hits the doorstep, while audiences scatter across thousands of information channels.

The past year alone has seen a dramatic rise in the number of news stories that started online and migrated to traditional media. People trust the opinions of their peers over news reports, advertisements, or corporate statements. Time and again we have seen individuals leverage websites, viral videos, Twitter, and more to reach and mobilize a group of supporters, taking a minor issue and effectively elevating it to a national concern.

With the prevalence and authority of online conversations, it is crucial for companies to be engaged and informed online. This webinar will focus on the lessons learned from recent crises and outline the latest approach to integrating digital tools into your existing legal and communications strategies to protect legal rights and corporate reputations.

Topics addressed will include:

• What is the communications environment now compared to 10 years ago?
• How can companies be prepared for and effectively respond to the next crisis?
• What things can companies do to avoid landmines in the online space?
• How can companies keep up with the 15-second news cycle?
• What impact does this ever-changing space have on your legal and communications goals?

Participants will hear from experienced practitioners and real-life examples about techniques to make the most of digital communications. The panel will include Vincent Petrini, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs at Yale-New Haven Hospital; Jim Moorhead, Partner and Crisis Management Co-Chair at Steptoe & Johnson LLP; and Michael Krempasky, Executive Vice President, Digital Public Affairs at Edelman. Charles Bakaly, Senior Counselor and head of US Litigation and DC Crisis at Edelman, will moderate the panel.

Attendees are encouraged to come prepared with questions.

For More Information: e-mail events@steptoe.com.