Getting ahead of the story and telling your narrative is essential. Many big crisis communications are best managed with forethought. I would argue that because of cell phones in the hands of students, schools need to be more responsive than in the past.
The National School Public Relations Association (2021) suggests that the first 30 minutes after a crisis is the most important time to respond because it allows one to control the story. They suggest the following important steps: designate a point person to address the situation, define the problem, consider the options, communicate with staff and media, update students, as a starting place for communications. Taking these steps may alleviate the spontaneous text communication damage from students. What do you think?
References:
National School Public Relations Association. (2021). National School Public Relations Association. Retrieved January 06, 2021, from https://www.nspra.org/crisis
David Orace Kelly 