Why words matter in tackling terror

Under Pressure 21 October 2021

Words Matter when Tackling Terror

The death of MP Sir David Amess was shocking and even more so when it was investigated as a terrorist incident. Terrorism has disappeared from many people’s minds and media headlines due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The attention was focused on the crisis in front of us at the expense of continuing to remember the risks around. My thoughts are with all those who have been affected by terrorist attacks, and particularly anyone who has lost someone they loved to terrorism.

It watching the news and reading the reports it reminded me of the importance of choosing your words carefully. Reporting terrorism is a sensitive thing and the media have been given some assistance in recent years with work from the Tim Parry and Johnathan Ball Foundation. Read more here. There are publications such as Fanning the Flames by Charlie Beckett. Find it here.

The media have an important role to play in getting things right but so do the many PR and communication professionals who will need to develop statements and key messages in the aftermath of a terror incident. It is important that the same issues that are raised with journalists under the #wordsmatter campaign are understood by anyone needing to comment on a terrorist attack. I hope at some point that all PR and communication professionals will be trained and have access to materials that will help them get things right.

Some commentators are warning that more acts of terrorism may be coming to the UK likening the situation in Europe to that in 2016 and 2017 that led to some of the most serious terror incidents seen in the UK. Read the Sky News report here.

If you want to discuss how to be ready to communicate about terrorism and terror attacks get in touch at amanda@amandacolemancomms.co.uk

UK COVID-19 Response Criticised

A report published by a Government committee has heavily criticised the UK Government response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The detailed report highlighted many issues including confusing communication, a failure to learn from previous exercises and the existence of ‘group-think’. However, the report did recognise the initial success of the ‘Stay Home’ messaging and the importance of clear, consistent and transparent communication strategy.

You can read more about my thoughts on the content of the report and what it means for communicators on my blog.

As this newsletter was being developed the deaths and infection rates due to Covid-19 had started to increase prompting calls for action to be taken. The UK Government have talked of having a Plan B which they are not enacting yet. However, scientists and other experts want to see action sooner rather than later. What does this mean for communication? I reviewed the situation in a blog here.

Christmas challenges

It may be October but thoughts for many are moving towards the festive period. From the start of December through to Christmas and New Year there are additional pressures on communication teams with staff wanting to take holidays and the possibility of a crisis ever present. If you want the peace of mind of additional support during the festive period get in touch at amanda@amandacolemancomms.co.uk

In Brief

• The BBC have a Covid-19 postcode checker available on their website. Find out more here. As figures continue to rise there is growing unrest about the rates of Covid-19 and a lack of Government messaging. It will be interesting to see what happens in the coming weeks.

• A report jointly published by the CIPR and PRCA has shown significant challenges for the mental wellbeing of PR and communication professionals. It is positive that many were receiving support but shows how much the industry and employers need to do post-pandemic. I wrote a blog about my views of the report which you can read here.

Diary Dates:

• On the 22 October and 3 November - Amanda will be the guest chair for the SASIG webinar. The first session will focus on cyber threats and practical lessons from frontline experience. Find out more here. The second session in November looks at building security into systems. Find out more here.

• 16 November - Amanda is running two different webinars on behalf of the PRCA. The first looks at developing engaging content for public sector communicators, the second focuses on how to maximise a small or non-existent communication budget. To find out more about engaging content click here and for maximising budget click here.

• Amanda is running a new course for the PRCA on 11 January 2022. The half day workshop will focus on making better decisions under pressure. It will look at practical tips and techniques for making sure you can keep calm and manage the situations you face. Find out more here.