Has Anything Been Learned About Crisis Media?

(Beatles song title, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and released on the Hard Day's Night album in 1964)

One would think, after all this time has passed, that everyone in the world would know how to better handle a media crisis. I mean, just look at the examples of best, and worst, practices:

• The Tylenol drug tampering scandal of 1982. Tylenol, the then leading U.S. pain-killing medicine, faced a catastrophic crisis when seven people in Chicago were reported dead after taking extra-strength Tylenol capsules. It was reported that an unknown suspect put 65 milligrams of deadly cyanide into Tylenol capsules, 10,000 times more than what is necessary to kill a human. Tylenol was generally credited with dealing with the problem in a textbook-like manner and was applauded for taking the necessary proactive steps to do the right thing and save the product.
• The Watergate Scandal of 1972-1974. President Richard Nixon was faced with the problem of candidly exposing his culpability as well as the machinations of his immediate staff in efforts to cover up what many called a second-rate burglary of the offices of the Democratic National Committee. Or, participating in an attempted cover-up that eventually led to his having to resign the presidency in disgrace. Nixon is generally credited by PR professionals as having botched an opportunity by underestimating the compassion of the American people and their ability to forgive and forget.
• The Monica Lewinsky Scandal. President Clinton said it all: “I did not have sex with that woman.” Whoops … how do you define sex? Does oral sex not count? And it went downhill from there. If there was ever a charmer in the White House who could have pulled off a mea culpa it was Bill Clinton. But, he also chose to take the low road that is often the road less travelled in political and business scandals.

There were more, the Bhopal tragedy in India. Bhopal is the site of probably the greatest industrial disaster in history. Between 1977 and 1984, Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL), located within a crowded working class neighborhood in Bhopal, was licensed to manufacture potentially dangerous chemicals. On the night of Dec. 2, 1984 an accident caused toxic vapors to escape from the plant into the surrounding areas. There was no warning for people surrounding the plant as the emergency sirens had been switched off. The effect on the people living in the shanty settlements just over the fence was immediate and devastating. Many died in their beds, others staggered from their homes, blinded and choking, to die in the street. Many more died later after reaching hospitals and emergency aid centers. It is been estimated that at least 3000 people died as a result of this accident, while figures for the number of people injured currently range from 200,000 to 600,000. The factory was closed down after the accident. But, more importantly it was a public relations disaster for Union Carbide as the days and weeks following exhibited to the world a case study of the lack of corporate sympathy and further management attempts to divert the blame.