Facing the Inevitable Bad News

Source: Chicago Tribune

The sudden announcement from Apple that Steve Jobs is stepping down as CEO is a stark reminder that companies and organizations need to have a media relations plan for the bad news everyone knows is coming, but are not sure just when.

Jobs has been ill for some time, and had taken a medical leave in January. With Jobs and Apple so interconnected, the news that he's relinquinshing daily control of the firm he co-founded in his parents' garage back in 1976 sent Apple shares plummeting.

When difficult circumstances affect a firm's public image and persona, it's essential to have the tough conversations behind the scenes early on about what will be said from a crisis communications and public relations standpoint. In the case of Apple, it was a brief statement released late in the day.

---

It's important to remember the various constituents who will be affected by such difficult announcements:

• Board of directors
  
• Employees
  
• Customers
  
• Stockholders
  
• Competitors
  
• Regulators
  
• Media
  
• General public

Consider what impact your news will have on each group, and use that to help determine what to say or not say. 

There aren't many firms whose identity is so publicly tied with the CEO as are Apple and Jobs. Yet, every organization has a duty to communicate to its stakeholders, no matter how tragic or difficult the circumstances.