Every PR professional loves the ‘good news’ stories, the glowing reviews, the well-placed thought leadership, the client who forwards coverage with a simple “Great job!”

While those moments help prove your worth, a serious aspect of the real value of PR shows when headlines aren’t working in your favour: a security vulnerability, a service outage, layoffs, an executive misspeaking at the worst possible time. 

Every organisation faces a crisis eventually, especially in technology, where threats evolve daily and news travels fast. The companies that turn that negativity into something positive are the ones worth studying.

The importance of journalist relationships

A common misconception is that crisis communications start when the first journalist calls but by then, the clock is already ticking. The horse may have bolted and the court of public opinion adjudicated. 

The real groundwork is laid months or years earlier by initially spotting potential pitfalls and then developing crisis comms plans. But planning means nothing if you don’t build trust and credibility with reporters. When journalists know you’re responsive and honest, they’re more likely to call before publishing, giving you the chance to provide context and ensure the organisation’s perspective is reflected.

We’ve seen this firsthand: journalists reaching out before running potentially damaging stories, letting us respond with facts and context instead of waking up to speculation. This is only possible when a relationship exists long before a crisis emerges.

Crisis comms doesn’t respect your time

Vulnerability disclosures, in particular, rarely arrive conveniently. Some of our busiest periods have involved coordinating responses late into the evening while technical teams investigated and leadership decided next steps.

In those moments, it’s tempting to say too much too soon, or nothing at all. Neither helps. Journalists work to deadlines; without your input, they’ll publish anyway. But rushed, incomplete statements breed more confusion than confidence. The simplest approach works best: acknowledge the issue, explain what’s being done, and commit to updates as more information emerges. People don’t expect perfection in a crisis, they expect transparency.

Bad news doesn’t always equal bad coverage

Some of the most difficult stories we’ve handled had every ingredient for damaging headlines. But quick responses, technical context, and open communication shifted the narrative, coverage focused on the organisation’s response and expertise rather than the issue alone. You can’t change the facts, but you can shape how they’re understood.

Crisis communications isn’t about spin or perfect soundbites. It’s about preparation, relationships, and trust. When that first media enquiry comes in, you’re not starting from scratch, you’re drawing on every relationship built and every ounce of credibility earned. In PR, that’s often the difference between managing the story and becoming it, to paraphrase Malcom Tucker.