Crisis Communication and Media Statement Writing

When an organisation faces a service failure, safety incident, labour dispute or public controversy, the first written statement often shapes public perception more than the facts themselves. This course prepares delegates to draft holding statements, media responses and internal crisis messages under time pressure, balancing legal caution, factual accuracy and reputational care.

What you will be able to do

Draft an initial holding statement within minutes of a crisis becoming public.
Balance factual accuracy, legal risk and reputational concerns in every crisis message.
Adapt tone and content for media, staff, customers and regulatory audiences separately.
Coordinate messaging with legal, executive and communication stakeholders under time pressure.
Avoid common language traps that imply liability, blame or premature conclusions.
Review and update crisis statements as facts develop over a rolling timeline.

Course outline

01Anatomy of a Crisis Statement
02Drafting the Initial Holding Statement
03Balancing Legal Risk and Transparency
04Writing for Media Versus Internal Audiences
05Coordinating with Legal and Executives
06Language to Avoid Under Pressure
07Updating Statements as Facts Change
08Post Incident Review and Learning

Who should attend

This course is designed for corporate communication staff, public relations officers, executive assistants and managers who may need to draft statements during a crisis or reputational incident.

Dates, venues and fees

Dates	Venue	Days	Fee
17 to 18 Aug 2026	Durban	2	R10,000
24 to 25 Aug 2026	Johannesburg	2	R10,000
7 to 8 Sep 2026	Mauritius	2	US$1,100
14 to 15 Sep 2026	Dubai	2	US$1,100
21 to 22 Sep 2026	Lagos	2	US$1,100
28 to 29 Sep 2026	Harare	2	US$1,100
5 to 6 Oct 2026	Kampala	2	US$1,100
12 to 13 Oct 2026	Dar es Salaam	2	US$1,100
19 to 20 Oct 2026	Pretoria	2	R10,000
26 to 27 Oct 2026	Cape Town	2	R10,000
9 to 10 Nov 2026	Online	2	US$900
16 to 17 Nov 2026	Mozambique	2	US$1,100
23 to 24 Nov 2026	Cairo	2	US$1,100
30 Nov to 1 Dec 2026	Accra	2	US$1,100
7 to 8 Dec 2026	Lusaka	2	US$1,100
14 to 15 Dec 2026	Kigali	2	US$1,100
21 to 22 Dec 2026	Nairobi	2	US$1,100

Fees are per delegate. South African venues are priced in rand; other locations and online in US dollars. Fees exclude 15% VAT where applicable. Group bookings of three or more delegates from the same organisation qualify for a reduced rate; contact us for a quotation.

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Training a whole team?

We can run Crisis Communication and Media Statement Writing privately for your team, on your dates and built around your own systems. Group delivery is usually more cost effective from about six delegates.

Run this in-house