When a public crisis erupts, time becomes your enemy and pressure mounts fast. Missteps made in those early moments can do more damage than the crisis itself. Without a clear plan and disciplined execution, even experienced leaders can fall into traps that magnify the problem instead of containing it.
Your response shapes how the world sees your organization. That response must be deliberate, measured, and strategic. Here are the most common—and avoidable—mistakes that derail crisis communications.
Speaking to the Media Before You’re Ready
Too many people make the mistake of jumping into interviews or issuing statements before they’re fully prepared. The media can be a powerful tool, but only if you know how to use it. Everything you say is potentially quotable, and friendly conversations with reporters can quickly become the basis for headlines you did not expect.
Never talk to the press without a plan. Define your message, anticipate difficult questions, and determine your goals for the interaction. If you are not ready to shape the narrative, stay silent until you are.
Leaking Sensitive Information
In the urgency of a crisis, it is easy to confide in associates or allies with what feels like harmless updates. But once information is shared, you lose control over where it goes or how it is interpreted.
Leaking details to affiliated parties—or worse, on social media—can unravel your strategy. Think strategically about what should and should not be shared. Maintain message discipline across all platforms and resist the urge to overshare, even with those you trust.
Releasing Unvetted Statements
Rushing to publish a statement without full internal review is a recipe for disaster. A word or phrase that seems insignificant to one person might spark backlash or legal risk.
Public statements should be vetted by leadership, legal counsel, and your crisis communications team. Once something is out there, it is virtually impossible to walk it back without looking unprofessional or unprepared.
Delaying Your Response
One of the most common and damaging mistakes is waiting too long to respond. In a digital-first world, silence can be interpreted as confusion, guilt, or evasion. The longer you stay quiet, the more you allow others to shape the story.
Even if you don’t have all the answers, acknowledge the situation and commit to sharing more as it unfolds. Taking control early shows leadership and earns credibility, even in uncertainty.
Walking Into Interviews Unprepared
A live interview during a crisis is not the time to wing it. It is an opportunity to take control—or lose it entirely.
Effective interviews require preparation, message discipline, and an understanding of how to pivot away from difficult questions while staying on point. If you’re not ready to deliver your message under pressure, the interview will work against you.
The Best Time to Prepare Is Before a Crisis Starts
Mistakes in a crisis are often the result of poor preparation. That is why every organization should have a clear, actionable crisis communications plan in place long before it is needed.
At Red Banyan, we help companies anticipate the worst so they can respond with clarity, confidence, and speed. Because in today’s world, a single mistake can define your brand—but the right response can save it.
Evan Nierman is Founder and CEO of Red Banyan, a global crisis PR firm, and author of The Cancel Culture Curse and Crisis Averted.