• Demand for fast responses

In today's world of instant gratification, there is a demand and an expectation for fast responses at all times, and especially during a time of crisis. The longer an organization delays a response to a crisis, the more damaging it will be to their reputation. As Johnathan Bernstein, President of Bernstein Crisis Management points out, "sometimes a delay will become the issue at hand."

• Demand for transparency

The need for organizations to be transparent is essential in reducing the risk of a crisis occurring. Organizations need to be upfront and honest with the public and their stakeholders in order to preserve their reputation, especially in a crisis. Hiding or withholding information will just make the situation worse. Organizations also want to make sure they do not make any understatements or exaggerations and communicate as accurately as possible to their publics. Communicating information with your stakeholders also reassures them that you are taking their concerns into account and demonstrating responsiblity as an organization.

• Communicating with audiences

During a crisis, people don't want to be talked at, they want to have an opportunity to be involved, to ask questions and give feedback. Essentially, people want to know they are being heard. Johnathan reccommends offering services such as toll-free numbers, creating web forms, or setting up blogs can aid in managing a crisis.

• Cost

Cost of these new technologies is virtually free, compared to traditional forms of communication. Individuals have the ability to set up blogs or develop websites that could equal a corporate company's presence on the web in terms of content and quality. This ability enables individuals the power to attack or damage a company's reputation, leaving them vulnerable unless the appropriate steps are taken to protect the organization.

• New media literacy

Every day people are becoming more Internet savvy, however many managers still do not have the ablility to do more than send e-mails, perform a search or book travel online. Without knowing how to function properly in cyberspace, organizations have a dismal hope of neutralizing, engaging, or reasoning with online opinion leaders.

Source: http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/docs/bernstein0610.pdf

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