It seems that bad news is all around lately. I’ve heard this comment a lot from people who reacting to the news of the Boston Marathon, bombings, Newtown, Conn., shootings and fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas.  “When it rains, it pours,” we are all saying.

Unfortunately, we’ve also seen a lot of bad reporting raining down on us from news organizations. While under pressure to be first with the news, some are getting it terribly wrong. For example, CNN and the Associated Press erroneously reported that a suspect was in custody for the Boston bombing on April 17. The New York Times originally, and incorrectly, identified the Newtown shooter’s brother as the perpetrator in the awful elementary school attack in the first hours of the event. These are respected news organizations that set the gold standard for reporting in our society, not inexperienced bloggers or tweeters. In their haste to get it first, they neglected to get it right, which has led to a certifiable credibility problem with these once-trusted institutions.

All of this bad news is uncomfortable to absorb and dwell upon.  But the news gaffes we have witnessed recently are a good reminder for business to revisit their crisis plans and practice their responses before a crisis hits. It is also a reminder that inaccurate news reporting happens not only because of the pressure reporters are under to get the story quickly, but also because misinformation can come from the news source itself.  In times of intense public scrutiny and pressure to distribute information, public officials, first responders, and business people often relay information the accuracy of which even they are unsure at the moment.

If you are your company’s spokesperson, it is your job to make sure you are not that guy (or gal.) Here are a few tips to help in the early moments of a crisis.

Take a breath

You just received some very bad news. At this moment you are probably feeling the same senses as a news reporter who just heard the same news: an incredible adrenaline rush, and a need to get away from your desk and go the “scene” wherever that may be. Unless you are in immediate danger, take three deep breaths.  This will take about 30 seconds and will provide the moment of sanity and clarity you will need for the next several hours (or perhaps days) as you work through your crisis response.

Corral your communications team

Today, there is typically more than one person on a communications team. And, they may be scattered across offices, agencies and even geographies. Get them together either physically or digitally. Remind them that you have a crisis plan and how to locate it. Remind them of their specific responsibilities under the plan, be clear about who the authorized spokesperson is for the company, and remind them that each of their roles is important. All need to be working together to make sure Facebook, Twitter, blogs, media liaisons and CEOs are communication the same information, accurately.

Execute against your plan

In my previous blog post “Media Training 2.0” I wrote about how crises are different and perhaps scarier that they once were. No matter what the crisis is, it is important to remember that at the time you wrote the plan you had time to think through the scenario and build an appropriate, level-headed response. Yes, your current crisis may have some elements you did not anticipate and for which you will have to adapt, but the basics you outlined previously still apply. Trust your work.

Fight the urge to react

You will have many people both internally and outside your organization asking, “What is going on? What do you know? What will happen next?” Your role is to provide facts, not speculate. By relaying news to people in your organization ahead of, or instead of, the appropriate outlets of information, you are increasing the chances of misinformation, perhaps escalating the crisis via unintended consequences, and risking your own and your company’s credibility.

Conduct a post-crisis follow up

Once the danger or crisis has past, you need to review the problem and your teams’ response. What worked well? What did you not anticipate? What mistakes did you make? Then, update your systems, roles and tactics appropriately.  Finally, communicate this information with your superiors, your fellow employees, and if appropriate, your customers and the general public.  Here are a few post-mortems from news organizations that publically acknowledge their mistakes and how they will adjust in the future, that may offer some valuable tips for you as well:

“Getting It First or Getting It Right?,” The New York Times

“Get it Fast, But Get It Right,” American Journalism Review