How much information is too much, and how much is not enough?
May 6, 2009
On May 5, 2009, a “suspicious package” was found in a restroom of Lawrence Hall on the University of Oregon Campus. Students were notified via e-mail. Later when the “suspicious package was determined to be a left-behind backpack student received a second “all clear” e-mail.
On May 6, 2009, a man walked into the café at Broad Street Books and fired several deadly shots at a Wesleyan University student who was later identified as the gunman’s ex-girlfriend. Students on campus were notified of the incident through text messages, e-mails, and voice messages. The gunman is still at large.
In both of these incidents the individual university had a crisis communication plan that involved informing students of emergencies as soon as possible.
But how much information is too much? In the UO case, the incident was a false alarm, and all of the law enforcement and homeland security officials only caused rumors, confusion and chaos. In the Wesleyan University instance students were given vague information about a situation in few facts were concrete. Is it necessary to worry students when the situation is under control?
It has only been in the 2008-09 academic year the UO implemented a text message notification system. As a student at UO, I am voluntarily enrolled in the system and I have only ever experienced the use of system once, and that was a trial run to ensure that the notification system worked.
How can a balance be found between telling students (or claimants) involved or affected by a crisis just enough information so they are aware but not telling so much information that students (or claimants) are afraid or panicked?
The UO accomplished this by informing students of a situation after the situation was under control and followed up with a second notification that the situation had been resolved.
In the Wesleyan University example the story became national news before the victim’s family had been notified. If I were a parent whose child attended that private university I would be in complete panic until I knew my child was safe.
So, the UO gave the students enough information to be aware of a situation while Wesleyan University kept student out of the loop until news spread by other means, and then released information.
In a crisis it is important to stay calm, start to control the situation (or take the steps necessary to get the situation under control), get the facts out to the most important claimants first, and all the while maintain clear and consistent communication on all fronts. Never make a crisis larger than it is, but never underplay a crisis either.
