Key Words: Trust, authenticity, transparency, people and values
Trust, authenticity, and transparency are critical things companies must have in order to keep strong relationships with the media and the public. From a viral outbreak to an airline trouble remaining truthful to one’s values is important when handling crisis communications.
Mixing Memes and Politics
In the 2022 Pensylavnaia Sentate Race Mehmet Oz (R) and John Fetterman (D) faced off in an election (VanSlette, S 2023). Fetterman had a stroke and was in the hospital during some of his campaign so his team took a humorous approach through social media to create an authentic connection with voters. Republicans could admit that Fetterman had great social media skills but they did question his values behind the posts (Levy, 2022). It was an interesting approach to a political election but it ultimately won Fetterman the seat.
Support the Cause
In 2015 measles broke out and it was traced back to some cases spreading in Disneyland. Disney’s PR team did a swift job of addressing the situation and encouraging the health and safety of guests and employees. They took a proactive approach by supporting the health department’s protocols in handling the outbreak (Aylesworth-Spink, 2016).
It is so important that the crisis communications professional provides transparency so the truth can ultimately be heard (Tisinger, 2025). Disney wanted to protect their name at all costs so they promoted health and safety rather than taking accountability for the “spreading of the measles”. Some believe that Disney was at fault for the spreading of the illness while Disney stood strong in supporting the health department's advice.
Stay True to Values
While Disney was able to stay transparent with its audience throughout the crisis, United Airlines and Ryanair struggled to keep their key public satisfied with their responses in a crisis. PR Daily states “Leaders need ground rules when it comes to communicating with transparency” (Schwartzberg, 2021).
Understanding how significant authenticity and trust are with a company, and its leaders, to its public is vital. Both of these Airlines have faced backlash for the way they have treated their customers along with their poor response to the public in crisis situation.
Ultimately, we can see across the board that showing authenticity to your public is crucial for thriving in a crisis. People like to see transparency with organizations in order to rebuild trust when a crisis breaks out. We can see how important keeping trust with your public throughout a crisis is critical to keeping a strong reputation.
Citations
Aylesworth-Spink, S. (2016). Protecting the herd: An analysis of public relations responses to the 2015 measles outbreak originating at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park. Case Studies in Strategic Communication, 5, 191-219. Available online: http://cssc.uscannenberg.org/wp- content/uploads/2016/08/v5art10.pdf
Levy, M. (2022, August 1). Trolling along: Fetterman going big on social media vs. Oz. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-inflation-technology-social-media-15e3d1e7cb6bc49fd8c07350c159c4c2
Schwartzberg, J. (2021, September 16). How to communicate with targeted, strategic transparency. PR Daily. https://www.prdaily.com/how-to-communicate-with-targeted-strategic-transparency/
Tisinger, M. (2025, January 6). In defense of crisis communications amid the lively/baldoni mess. PR Daily. https://www.prdaily.com/in-defense-of-crisis-communications-amid-the-lively-baldoni-mess/
VanSlette, S., & McClain, M. (2018). The case of Ryanair: Demonstrating the benefits and the limits of incivility. Case Studies in Strategic Communication, 7, 36-55. https://cssc-ojs-
VanSlette, S (2023). Trolling and sick burns: John Fetterman’s winning social media strategy against Mehmet Oz in the 2022 Pennsylvania Senate campaign. 1-15. ISSN 2167-1974
Vic. (2025, January 20). Trust. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/59632563@N04/6239670686
Flying the Unfriendly Skies 175-189. file:///Users/ellafryer/Downloads/Flying%20the%20unfriendly%20skies_trust%20and%20transparency%20(1).pdf
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