2024 Review: A year of tension and crises
Under Pressure 20 December 2024
2024 Review: A year of tension and crises
It is the time of year when we take stock and look at what the past 12 months have brought us and consider what this means for the year ahead. So it felt this final edition of Under Pressure for the year focuses on those things.
The chaotic world that we live in has continued. There have been many disasters, crises and emergencies across the world in the past year. It feels more tense and uncertain for us all and this looks set to continue. It has also been a year of public inquiries both reporting and being set up. A year of elections around the world that has brought further change.
It is important for us all to take time to remember all those whose loved ones will not be with them during the festive holidays due to the many incidents that have happened.
The speed and pace of information being shared continues to increase. With the UK riots, the Valencia floods and the hurricanes in America the details were shared as they happened. And with the decline of X (Twitter) there has been a fracturing of the social networks and a growth in TikTok as a source of news requiring crisis communication plans to be updated.
Reputational crises have continued and bad behaviour from executives and staff has not reduced. The importance of understanding what your reputation is and levels of trust in a business or organisation is critical. And as I say in my latest book Strategic Reputation Management - reputation is for everyone not just the communication team.
So what can we expect from 2025? I don’t go in for predictions or resolutions but I can see there are some issues ahead that could be critical for all those involved in crisis communication and management.
Martyn’s Law - it is great to see it entering the final stages before it comes law and I am so pleased for Figen Murray after all her tireless work. It will require us all to review our systems and processes when managing events.
Duty of Candour - this has been the subject of previous editions of Under Pressure as it has been promised to become law before April 2025. This is going to put a spotlight on public sector communication in the aftermath of issues, incidents and crises. Watch for the details of it when they become available and start to test whether you are adhering to the principles of it now.
Polarisation and tensions - nobody really knows what may happen with the many international tensions and growing polarisation. But it does require us all to be ready for the unexpected and crises.
Social media challenges - the decline of X (Twitter) looks set to continue and there is no simple social media crisis response. We will need to become more sophisticated in what we are using and how we are using it. Time to consider TikTok as well for all companies - are we using it and are we monitoring it?
Building trust - looks set to be an ongoing challenge and critical element for us all. And as is said it takes a long time to grow a reputation and moments to lose it. The biggest risk we all have is complacency.
More about the issues for 2025 will be shared in the free webinar I am running on 14 January see the details in the events below.
It has been a challenging year and whatever you are doing I hope you have a moment to rest and recharge in the coming few weeks. Like many I will be working, so if you are then find some moments to switch off whenever you can grab them.
I want to thank you for the support throughout the year and I wish you all a Happy Christmas, Happy Holidays and a safe 2025.
Eight lessons from 2024 crises
Amanda shared eight points that PR and communication professionals should take away from the crises and emergencies that have happened during the past 12 months. The article appeared in the CIPR Influence newsletter and can be found here.
In a separate article for the CIPR Crisis Communication Network Amanda looks at the year of public inquiries and what we can take from it. Read that article here.
Disaster Memorials and Monuments - a book review
For a long time I have been interested in when, where and how memorials are placed after disasters. I was pleased to see my good friend Kjell Brataas has grasped this issue in his latest book. Reading it on the train got some odd looks from other passengers but it was well worth the investment both financially and in the time to read it. Find out more about my thoughts on the book here.
In Brief:
HR Magazine online ran an article with information about how to maintain employee satisfaction during a crisis. Find out the tips and information here.
Experts warned people in California about the importance of being prepared for potential tsunamis after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in the waters off Northern California. Find out more here.
The attack targeting CEO Brian Thompson has required all organisations to consider increasing risks to executives and what is put in place. In a recent Forbes article they looked at the ‘new scenario’ that needs to be considered. Find out more here. And in another article it considers the impact of the incident on corporate leadership. Find out more here. It is interesting to see statistics on the the number of young voters who believe the killing is acceptable. Read the results here.
Amanda joined other crisis specialists to share some thoughts on the UK Government’s handling of prisoners being released early and the reputational impact in an article for PR Moment. Find out more here.
The Business Continuity Institute recently published an article looking at anticipating and preparing for disruptions to business and operations. Read more here.
NATO has said people need to move to a wartime mindset, which is something Amanda covered in the December crisis communication case study published earlier this month. Find out what NATO said here.
The United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction team have had a bit of fun to get a series message about how risks can be more effectively managed. Check out Santa’s wish list here.
Diary Dates 2025:
Amanda is running a free one hour webinar looking at crisis issues to be aware of and prepared for in 2025. To book a place or find out more check out the details here.
On 30 April 2025 Amanda will be the keynote speaker for the CIPR South West conference. Find out more here.