Public Relations: Severe Crisis

It's not too often that one and stops to think about what it would be like to be in a tragic situation. Tragic situations are depressing for most, and it sometimes hard to identify with the pain. We tend to grasp the situation, react and find some way to relate to the problem. Some people are better at disassociating themselves from a painful situation. Army marines are great examples of this.

Recently, I tried to my put myself in the position of another person: the public relations manager or spokesperson of an institution or organization where a tragic occurrence took place. Some examples could be the Virginia Tech massacre or the Columbine shootings.

This thought occurred to me when I thought of a recent friend. My brother's friend, Josh Overstreet, was released from a Portland jail where he was on suicide watch. The jail was overcrowded and unwilling to serve Overstreet who was suffering from a mental illness. In this wonderful country of ours, people who commit crimes take priority over people with mental illness. He was on suicide watch, and the director decided that he was to be released. An hour after his release, he killed himself by jumping off a building right across the street from the jail.

This incident is not only tragic but has generated contreversy in the media. With someone who is so sensitive to death, I can't imagine representing the institution who has to confront not only the media but the families. As a public relations spokesperson, you have to be the face of that company who has to supply the answers. It is not a job for the lighthearted.

I respect people who are in my field who are able to perform this type of work. I lost my older sister in a tragic car accident, so it is harder for me to fit into the role of a crisis manager in public relations. Or maybe I would be. At least I would be able to identify with the audiences who I am trying to reach.