"Journalism is the opposite of pancake makeup and boudoir lighting. The further journalists get away from you, the worse you look", wrote satirist PJ O'Rourke. He was referring to the "mistake" made by Israel in banning journalists from covering military operations in the West Bank last year.
Contrast that with the Pentagon's decision to "embed" reporters with troops in a brilliant move that helped cultivate media and public support for a war that now appears was fought under false pretext.
Too often, the corporate landscape is littered with the mangled reputations of organisations that mishandled a crisis by refusing to recognise the importance of openness and transparency.
But crisis communications is not simply a 'PR' function. During the initial stages of the Sars outbreak Hong Kong's Hospital Authority and Department of Health exchanged potentially life-saving information about the outbreak by faxes. But they failed to communicate effectively with junior medical staff which may have contributed to the deaths of a number of health-care workers.
It's in this context that Jane's Crisis Communications Handbook makes for compelling reading for any senior executive, managing director or communications professional. This tiny tome is the Boy Scout manual of crisis communications offering a structured and prescriptive approach.
Its main authors, Louie Fernandez and Martin Merzer, bring together a seasoned mix of theory and practical applications. Fernandez is the lead editor and is senior bureau chief for public affairs with Miami-Dade County's Fire Rescue and Office of Emergency Management. Merzer is a senior writer for the Miami Herald, who covered crises ranging from 9-11 to the Gulf War.
The book analyses the range of crises that attract media attention and force an organisation to respond externally and internally. One major theme emerges and echoes P J O'Rourke's trenchant reference cited earlier: the media can be a positive tool to an organisation in crisis if properly managed. The first step to managing the beast is understanding how it operates and its needs.
The second step is to develop a structured and tested communications plan that fits into the overall crisis management structure and accommodates the public's hunger for information in a timely and transparent manner.
This may seem like 'media handling 101', but it's shocking how quickly organisations tend to forget the basics when disaster strikes. The Chinese Government learned its lesson the hard way during the Sars crisis, when it muzzled the media at first - a failed strategy the Government is still trying to reconcile.
Extremely helpful and relevant as a starting point for developing a crisis communications plan is the 'Seven-step communications response plan', which is also printed on the inside cover for handy reference.
There is considerable information available on crisis management, which includes a 'communications' component. But the book offers organisations an excellent starting point and comprehensive framework. I'll keep it in my briefcase for my next pitch.