A single mishandled statement during a crisis can undo years of careful reputation-building. In a world where daily operational challenges collide with sudden, unpredictable emergencies, how an organisation talks to the media and the public in the first hours often decides whether it recovers or not.

This six-day programme from the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy trains participants to treat public relations as a strategic trust-building tool and crisis management as a disciplined, planned response rather than a panicked one. Trainees leave with the ability to build emergency communication plans, apply innovative media strategies, keep the business running through disruption, and make sound decisions fast, under real pressure.

Who Should Attend?

• Public relations managers and media and marketing officials.
• Crisis management team members and executive officials in organisations and companies.
• Anyone looking to strengthen their public relations and crisis management skills.

By the End of the Course, Participants Will Be Able To:

• Explain why public relations is central to building organisational reputation and public trust.
• Build crisis management strategies that hold up under pressure, with a focus on fast decision-making.
• Design and apply a media communication plan that contains a crisis and limits reputational damage.
• Strengthen internal and external communication skills during a crisis.
• Use modern PR and media tools and techniques to manage crises effectively.

Module 1: Reading the Warning Signs - Understanding Crises and Their Causes

• Defining a crisis and what typically causes one.
• The real difference between a crisis and an everyday operational problem.
• Analysing strengths and weaknesses in the organisation's current communication approach and gauging its readiness to face a crisis.

Module 2: Public Relations as the First Line of Defence

• The definition and objectives of public relations and its relationship with the media.
• The role public relations plays in shaping and protecting organisational image.
• How PR contributes directly to crisis management, and balancing reputation protection with honest communication.

Module 3: Building the Crisis Communication Plan

• The core elements of a comprehensive crisis plan, plus identifying risks and building scenarios.
• Preparing clear messages for the people affected by the crisis.
• Choosing the right channels - traditional and new media, social platforms, and direct digital interaction with the public.

Module 4: Talking to the Media, the Public and Your Own People

• Building a healthy relationship with the media before a crisis hits, and handling journalists once one does.
• Issuing effective press releases and verifying information to counter rumours and misinformation quickly.
• Keeping employees informed internally, and why internal transparency builds trust during a crisis.

Module 5: Leading Teams Under Pressure

• Core leadership skills for high-pressure periods, including fast decisions based on partial information.
• Building an integrated crisis management team with clear roles, responsibilities, and continuous communication.
• Keeping morale up, offering psychological and professional support, and helping the team adapt.

Module 6: After the Storm - Recovery and Reputation Rebuilding

• Collecting data and feedback once a crisis ends, and measuring how effective the response plan actually was.
• Strategies for regaining public trust and improving the organisation's public image afterward.
• Turning lessons learned into a preventive plan and a more resilient organisational culture.

Module 7: Turning Experience into Institutional Knowledge

• Preparing a comprehensive report on the crisis and how it was managed.
• Analysing performance, extracting lessons, and recommending improvements for next time.
• Tools for evaluating communication strategy effectiveness and the role of feedback in strengthening future crisis response.