Communicating Under Pressure: Principles and Practice for Public Crises

Overview

This course is designed to equip participants with the practical skills and strategic understanding required to communicate clearly, credibly, and calmly in the midst of public crises - whether responding to natural disasters, pandemics, cyberattacks, or organisational scandals.

Participants will explore how to deliver high-stakes messages under conditions of intense public scrutiny, institutional stress, and emotional volatility. The course draws on interdisciplinary expertise in rhetoric, public oratory, government communication, and crisis leadership, combining academic insight with real-world experience at the interface of policy, media, and public trust.

What will I achieve?

Participants will gain:

• A foundational understanding of the rhetorical principles behind effective crisis communication
• Insight into how trust is built or lost under pressure
• Practical guidance on message design, tone-setting, and audience targeting in uncertain situations
• Techniques for staying calm, authoritative, and responsive under media questioning
• Strategies for institutional transparency and accountability that do not compromise public confidence
• Tools to prepare for both anticipated and emergent reputational risks

Who is this for?

This course is aimed at mid-career to senior professionals across the public, private, and third sectors who are - or may become - responsible for public communication during moments of institutional or societal crisis.

Typical participants may include:

• Civil servants and public officials
• Press officers and communications leads
• Senior managers in health, education, emergency services, or local government
• NGO and third-sector leaders • Researchers, scientists, and academics with public-facing roles
• Executives and spokespersons in regulated or high-risk industries

No prior experience of public speaking or crisis communication is assumed, but participants should come prepared to be challenged and to participate actively.

What will I learn?

The workshop blends short lectures and analytical discussions with immersive simulations, including:

• Mock press conferences and parliamentary committee grillings
• Role-playing exercises with shifting stakeholder perspectives
• Real-time media response drills, including handling misinformation or hostile questioning
• Case studies of high-profile public communication successes and failures

All participants receive individual feedback, and there is an opportunity to reflect on communication style, ethical dilemmas, and institutional context. The course emphasises truthful, responsible, and service-oriented communication that balances honesty with strategic clarity.

By the end of the course, participants will:

• Understand the specific challenges of communicating during crisis situations
• Be better prepared to represent their organisation or institution effectively in moments of stress or scrutiny
• Be able to craft and deliver messages that are credible, empathetic, and clear -even in chaotic or high-pressure settings
• Have a personalised action plan for improving institutional readiness and personal effectiveness in crisis communication

Course lead