Action or Lip Service? The Corporate Tightrope During Crises

As a communication professional in the U.S., I often get asked a tricky question: When should we address tragic events? Think mass shootings, natural disasters, or, more recently, wildfires. Should organizations comment? Stay quiet? Light a candle and call it a day?

One leader I worked with had a foolproof method: Comment on everything. Election results? “Let’s weigh in!” A polar vortex? “Bring on the winter metaphor!” An active shooter? “We have to say something!”

But do we really? According to the 2024 Bentley-Gallup Business In Society Report, only 38% of people think businesses should speak publicly about current events. So unless your employees think you’re running a news network, why wade into everything?

Here’s when I pushed back—and when you probably should too. Instead of a blanket “let’s comment,” consider this checklist:

• Impact—How many employees or locations are directly affected?

• Risk—Could silence (or miscommunication) pose physical, financial, or reputational risks to us?

• Action—Are we doing anything meaningful to support recovery, or are we just talking?

• Values—Does speaking up align with our organizational values—or feel like a PR move?

If your response is a hollow “thoughts and prayers,” it’s not a response—it’s a platitude. People see through lip service faster than your corporate chatbot can say “We value transparency.” On the other hand, saying and doing something—like donating to the Red Cross—adds weight to your words and avoids the dreaded tone-deaf territory.

So, before you hit “send” on that crisis email, ask yourself:

Are we commenting because it matters, or because we feel like we have to?