In the first hour of a crisis, speed, accuracy, and empathy set the tone for everything that follows. Use clear roles, a single source of truth, and disciplined updates to keep trust intact.
In the first hour, what should a public-facing first message prioritize?
Share detailed root cause analysis even if unconfirmed
Refer all inquiries to HR without posting publicly
Delay any statement until a full investigation concludes
Acknowledge the incident, show empathy, state immediate actions, and give a time for the next update
What is the most effective way to prevent conflicting narratives during the first hour?
Reply to every comment thread individually with slightly different wording
Ask employees to answer questions from their personal accounts
Share updates only with select reporters under embargo
Publish a single source of truth (e.g., status page or landing hub) and link all posts to it
To avoid approval bottlenecks in the first hour, teams should rely on ______.
a single executive’s sign‑off even if unreachable
ad‑hoc language crafted by whichever manager is online
multi‑day legal reviews before any external comment
pre‑approved templates and named backup approvers for after‑hours
Before posting externally, which audience is easy to overlook but crucial to brief?
Only the CEO’s followers on social media
Competitors to maintain transparency across the industry
Employees and critical partners who may face questions immediately
Anonymous online forums
What is a recommended rumor‑control action in the first hour?
Boost paid ads to drown out critical posts
Create or update a rumor‑control section that debunks false claims with authoritative links
Threaten critics with legal action from the brand account
Ignore misinformation until sentiment declines on its own
Which content choice best fits a first‑hour message?
Plain language that avoids speculation and shares only verified facts
Technical jargon that only experts can parse
Hypotheses about blame and cause to show decisiveness
Screenshots of internal chats to prove transparency
What accessibility step strengthens first‑hour communications across channels?
Use image‑only posts because they feel more ‘official’
Prioritize stylized fonts over readability for brand consistency
Provide readable formats (captions/alt text) and avoid dense images of text
Disable captions to speed publishing
Which operational move helps synchronize rapid updates across teams?
Open a cross‑functional incident bridge with comms, legal, and operations
Let each business unit craft its own narrative
Pause all internal comms until a press conference is scheduled
Route all questions through a single email inbox monitored once per hour
Which detail should NOT appear in a first‑hour public message?
How to contact the organization for urgent help
When the next update will be posted
Unverified personal data about affected individuals
Where to find verified updates
What documentation habit supports both transparency and post‑incident learning?
Delete all drafts once the final message is posted
Keep a time‑stamped log of decisions, approvals, and published messages
Discourage note‑taking to ‘move faster’
Publish internal approvals externally to prove speed
Starter
Build your muscle memory for first‑hour moves and template‑driven updates.
Solid
You’re applying sound crisis practices — refine speed, clarity, and cross‑team sync.
Expert!
Exemplary command of crisis communications — your playbooks are battle‑ready.
