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A Practical Guide To The Use Of The Commissioned Public Report As An Effective Crisis-Management Tool, F. Joseph Warin, Oleh Vretsona, Lora E. Macdonald

Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy

When terrorists attack an energy installation, disaster strikes a nuclear power plant, or a hurricane tears through wide swathes of a city, immediate concern is for the persons affected by the disaster. Close on the heels of this concern is often criticism of how the organization responsible for those persons’ safety has handled the catastrophic event, and an inept response—or one perceived as inept—can spell the organization’s demise. Institutional cracks are laid bare for the world to see, the public narrative turns it from victim to villain, reputational damage mounts, and a wave of public scrutiny and litigation looms. If …