I was late to the party that is Scandal. Over the summer, I watched five episodes of Olivia Pope expertly turn crisis situations around before I gave up. All said and done, it pepped me up to learn about the world of crisis communication in my elective, Foundations of Strategic Communication Management.

There is a whole science to handling public crises completely unbeknownst to the average Joe.  It requires an intricate mix of strategic communication, audience vetting and medium management.  There are a myriad of concepts to consider: Instructing information, adjusting information, reputation repair, secondary crisis communication, crisis reaction, etc.  It’s no simple task, certainly, and it seems to take a special sort of skill. Of course, in line with all preconceptions about the communications and media field, you can’t help but wonder whether it is really for public pacification or for self-preservation. Perhaps, it varies under different circumstances but exploring the literature behind it definitely helps create a different perspective.

While we often connect crisis communication to corporates, the field also encapsulates other phenomena. For example, earlier this month, Bermuda—yes, the entire country—won four elite British awards for fighting to eliminate its label as a tax haven.  Similarly, Panama also hired a crisis communication firm to weather the storm in the aftermath of the Panama Papers leak.  Public information about natural disasters also comes under the umbrella of crisis communication–who would have thought?

While the work of crisis communicators naturally comes under scrutiny, it is fascinating to see the breadth of their work and the different opportunities that emerge. At the end of the day, whether it is self-preservation or genuinely public pacification, we all do rely on crisis communicators to let us know, in some small way, that everything will be okay.

Madhurya Manohar
MSC Class of 2017

“Strategic communication.” Eight weeks ago, my mental picture of this concept was some amusing hybrid of Will Ferrell’s George W. Bush impersonation (“strate…gery”) and that Seinfeld episode where George
Costanza is forced by his boss to back up his mastery of “risk management” (and so turns to a book on tape for help). I’ve learned a lot since then, but my Buzzfeedy brain hasn’t been completely rewired. Professor Randy Iden gets the inherent hilarity of the academic vocab—and loves Larry David enterprises, too. We talk Seinfeld. We talk Curb Your Enthusiasm.

So, what is strategic communication? In this writer’s opinion, strategic communication is not just a C-suite euphemism for pushy business talk, but a pervasive phenomenon you’ll see throughout your organization at every level. In fact, I guarantee you use it, too. If you’ve ever omitted information to spare feelings, hung your hat a bit con-ven-ient-ly on a company mission statement, or walked employees or colleagues through anything new or uncomfortable using really careful language—well, you’ve been a tad strategic, haven’t you? Don’t feel too guilty. Strategic communication, while it has an acknowledged dark side (commonly identified as bold-faced lying!), is often hugely necessary even when it’s a maybe little evil. It can often do a lot of good for an organization (or maybe just your own work welfare).

Now that I’ve convinced you that you need this product, stay tuned for my next blog entry: a list of concepts I’ve learned in class, translated into (basically) conversational language. If this week’s political climes have you dreading Thanksgiving dinner conversation as much as I am, then I hope these grab-and-go conversation-starters (like “so, what’s the deal with airplane peanuts…and boundaryless organizations?”) will serve us all well. Otherwise, just be strategic and bring really chewy stuffing.

Michael Johnson is the Associate Director of External Programs, Internships and Career Services (EPICS) for the MSC program.  In this role Michael provides career coaching for students and alumni of the MSC program.  He also provides specific programming for students throughout the year including webinars and lunch presentations on a number of different career related topics.  He began working with the MSC program in January of 2016.

What is your favorite aspect of the MSC program?

Each student I work with is unique and that is exciting.  When you work in a specific trade or job function you develop unique skills and the students I work with have a variety of skills.  The students are the ones that drive the conversations, I’m constantly challenged to help find ways to deliver on their career goals and questions.

 A career transition is a very personal decision and many of our students use the program as a bridge – to get them from where they are to where they want to go. My job, and the job of the program, is to empower students to make those choices. In fact, that’s what career coaching is all about. It’s less about advising and more about challenging students.  I ask questions like where they want to go and why, what are their strengths and how they use them, or why (or why not) they are held back by fear.

 Why did you decide to come work for the MSC program?

My previous experience had been with undergraduate students and I was looking for an opportunity to work with students who were more seasoned and focused on what they wanted to do.  I enjoy working with graduate students because not only do they have more experience, but many have specific career goals in mind.  I’ve helped our students do everything from getting a promotion in their current company to switching careers entirely. 

 What makes Northwestern MSC different from other Masters in Communications programs?

We are one of few programs that I am aware of where a position like mine even exists.  Career Services, specifically a dedicated staff, are rare among graduate communication programs.  I am able to host Lunch & Learns and webinars with the students where we gather in smaller groups for workshops or presentations on specific career related content.  It has also become common for alumni to join in these to provide some of their perspective on how the MSC program has helped them in their specific industry.

 The program is also incredibly flexible and interpretive of how it relates to you.  The three learning themes, Managing Complexity, Collaborate Leadership and Elegant Communication are very broad and can be applied in many different ways.  Students in the Custom Leadership Program are also able to customize their classes to help facilitate a career move.

 Any other projects you have been working on that we might like to know about?

We are working to expand the EPICS offerings even further.  We are also working more closely with alumni by getting them to come back to contribute and help create a more vibrant experience.  Finally we are tailoring some of the EPICS programming to integrate with the program courses and learning outcomes so that we are continuing discussions on the concepts students are learning about in class and demonstrating how they can be applied in the professional world.