I’m teaching a class at the College of Saint Elizabeth in Morristown on PR writing, and a good part of my next class will be on dealing with the press at times of crisis. It’s an interesting topic, one fraught with tension and vulnerability. The class will need to do a lot of role playing to approximate what it really feels like to have the fate of a company depend on how you handle the press.

The topic got me to thinking that beyond the typical press releases, setting up press conferences to deal head-on with issues, and learning how to answer tricky questions with aplomb, organizations have many more tools at their disposal these days to deal with all kinds of crises.

The first, and most obvious is making sure your Web site can accommodate a major announcement – and that you have the process in place to update the home page or to send a broadcast e-mail as needed. One of the advantages of using a Web maintenance firm such as IMA is that you know you can reach us – either during our extended office hours, or by sending us a page – and that we have the wherewithal to make an instant change for you. Of course, your company might also have the ability to make the change itself, in which case you should have a process in place to get his done before an emergency arises.

Putting the announcement on your home page is a good first step, but that requires a proactive user to read it. An even more effective solution is a broadcast e-mail. If you have a good e-mail tool in place with a well-established database of clients, customers, patrons, etc., you can create a message that tells your side of the story and reach the desktops of several thousand individuals at one time.

This was precisely the strategy we used with New York City Ballet when, in 2000, their orchestra went on strike in December, at the beginning of its crucial Nutcracker season. Anyone hearing that the musicians were on strike might have jumped to the conclusion that New York City Ballet was not treating them fairly, in terms of salary or benefits. The truth was, as the company’s e-mail explained, that NYC Ballet musicians were striking over the requirement that they be available to rehearse with the dancers - which they were resisting because it would reduce their outside income.

By explaining this to the 30,000 patrons in its e-mail database, New York City Ballet was able to gain support for its position in the labor dispute. And the company was able to tell its Board of Directors that patron response was overwhelmingly in management's favor. That helped provide the resolve to see the crisis through. (The musicians agreed to attend rehearsals.)

Working with the press can be a tricky matter during times of crisis. But giving them easy access to all the information makes their lives easier, and (sometimes) helps them see your side of the story. Many of our clients have special areas for press materials, with comprehensive background material. In times of crisis, consider adding a special section to that area of the site, which you should quickly populate with any and all materials that will help the press understand the full story. Backgrounders, what action your organization has taken or plans to take, any photos – all of this can be made available online. If you let the press know that it’s there, your phone – which is probably ringing off the hook right now – will be quieter, and the chance that a reporter misses speaking to you doesn’t necessarily translate into the dreaded “A company spokesman was not available for comment.”