What goes in a crisis communication brief?

A crisis brief states the incident, lists only confirmed facts, gives a small set of approved talking points, spells out what not to say, names one spokesperson, and sets a monitoring plan. The goal is one consistent, accurate message under pressure.

Why limit talking points to three?

Under pressure, people remember and repeat only a few messages cleanly. Three approved talking points keep every spokesperson on-message; more than that invites improvisation and contradictory statements. The builder trims extras to keep you disciplined.

Why designate a single spokesperson?

Multiple voices create contradictions that the press and public will exploit. One designated, briefed spokesperson ensures a consistent message and a clear escalation path, while everyone else routes inquiries rather than commenting.

What should the 'what not to say' list contain?

Avoid speculating on cause before forensics finish, making claims you cannot prove (such as 'no data was accessed'), and publicly blaming a person or vendor. Listing these explicitly prevents an off-the-cuff remark that creates legal or reputational risk.

Is any of this stored or sent anywhere?

No. The tool runs entirely in your browser, stores nothing, and uploads nothing. Use the copy button to put the Markdown brief on your clipboard and share it through your internal, secured channels.

PR Crisis Communication Brief Builder

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In a crisis, speed and consistency matter more than polish. This builder turns the facts of an incident into a disciplined internal brief so every spokesperson says the same accurate thing — and avoids the remarks that turn a problem into a scandal.

How it works

The tool structures the essentials of crisis communications into headed Markdown. You set a severity level and write a short, agreed incident summary. You then list only confirmed facts — never assumptions — and draft your talking points. The builder enforces a maximum of three, trimming extras, because a small set of messages is what survives the pressure of a live response.

Crucially, it captures a what not to say list, a single designated spokesperson, and a media monitoring plan. Keeping confirmed facts separate from messaging, and naming one voice, is what prevents the contradictory statements that escalate a crisis. The output is a one-page internal brief everyone can align on in minutes.

Tips and example

Separate “confirmed” from “believed” ruthlessly. Saying “we detected the issue at 14:10 and patched it by 14:55” is defensible; saying “no data was accessed” before forensics finish is a hostage to fortune.

Anchor each talking point in an action you took (“we fixed it within 45 minutes”, “we are notifying affected users directly”), not a reassurance you cannot prove. Brief everyone, but let only the named spokesperson speak — everyone else routes questions to them and references this brief.