crisis-statement-writer

Crisis Statement Writer

What This Skill Does

Drafts an initial crisis communications statement for an organisation responding to a breaking negative story, balancing acknowledgement, accountability, and composure under the three-part structure used by professional crisis communicators: Empathy, Action, Information.

When To Use This Skill

• A damaging story has broken in the media and you need a public statement within the hour
• An incident has occurred (safety failure, data breach, executive misconduct, product recall, environmental harm) and you must respond before the news cycle runs without you
• Legal has approved the facts but you need them shaped into a statement that does not read like a liability waiver
• You need a first draft to take into the crisis team review, not a blank page

What You Need To Provide

Required: A plain-language description of what happened; what is confirmed vs what is still under investigation; the organisation's name and what it does; whether any people were harmed (yes/no/unknown); what action has been taken so far.

Optional: A specific spokesperson name and title; whether legal has cleared any admissions; the target audience (general public, employees, investors, regulators — each requires a different register); any previous public statements that must remain consistent; the channel this will be published on (website, social media, issued to wire).

How the Assistant Approaches This

1. Assesses the severity and nature of the incident from the input to calibrate tone — a product recall requires different language from a data breach or a fatal accident.
2. Opens with empathy directed at those affected — names the harm without minimising it — before any organisational self-defence.
3. States what is confirmed as fact, clearly separated from what remains under investigation; does not speculate or fill knowledge gaps with reassurance.
4. Describes the concrete action already taken and commits to a specific next update, if any, rather than vague "we will continue to monitor."
5. Closes at the point of accountability — does not end with brand messaging or promotional language.