Category: The Briefing Room
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📘 Live TV Is Not a Rehearsal: Lessons from American Airlines’ COO on GMA
When American Airlines’ Chief Operating Officer appeared on Good Morning America last week to discuss the government shutdown and Department of Transportation flight reductions, the stakes were high. With millions of travelers affected and national attention focused on air traffic control shortages and delays at TSA checkpoints, this was the airline’s chance to project calm,… Read more
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📘 When the Story Flips: Lessons from the Mark Sanchez Incident
Editor’s Note: This article reflects verified information as of November 3, 2025. Mark Sanchez faces felony battery charges related to an October 2025 incident in Indianapolis. The case remains active, with pre-trial hearings in November and a trial scheduled for December 11. When the first headlines broke that former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez had been… Read more
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📘 Losing the Room: What the Pentagon Press Fallout Teaches PIOs About Trust
In mid-October, something remarkable happened at the Pentagon. After decades of working alongside defense reporters, nearly every major U.S. news outlet — Reuters, the Associated Press, The New York Times, and The Washington Post among them — packed up their desks, turned in their badges, and walked out of the Pentagon press workspace. Why? Because… Read more
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📘 Fifteen Days of Silence: When Government Shuts Down, Communications Must Stay Open
Editor’s note: As of October 15, 2025, the federal government shutdown has entered its 15th day. “Due to the lapse in federal funding, this account will not be updated until further notice.” Fifteen days later, that message continues to appear across dozens of official federal social media accounts. From the Department of Defense to the… Read more
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📘 Holding Statements: A Communicator’s Quickest Tool in a Crisis
When a crisis unfolds, time is the one resource communicators never have enough of. Reporters are calling, social media is buzzing, and the public is demanding answers. The reality is simple: silence creates a vacuum that others will fill, often with speculation or misinformation. That’s where holding statements come in. A holding statement is a… Read more
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📘 In Moments of Tragedy, Communicators Must Be Anchors of Truth
I’ve thought long and hard about whether to publish this reflection. The murder of Charlie Kirk was a horrific tragedy, and my first instinct was simply to reflect quietly. But after several days of reflection, I believe there is value for communicators in considering the role we play during moments like this. My intent is… Read more
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📘 Servant Leadership as a Public Information Officer: Leading Through Service, Not Command
I’ve been seeing a number of articles and conversations lately about servant leadership versus command leadership. That got me thinking: what does servant leadership look like in the world of communications? After doing some reading and some critical thinking, I realized that the principles of servant leadership fit naturally with the role of the public… Read more
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📘 Prepare for the 5%: How PIOs Can Use National Preparedness Month to Sharpen Crisis Readiness
September is National Preparedness Month, a reminder that readiness is not just for the public, first responders, emergency managers, or frontline staff. It’s just as critical for communicators. Public Information Officers (PIOs) play a vital role in every incident response, ensuring the right messages reach the right people at the right time. Yet, too often,… Read more
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📘 When Words Aren’t Enough: Communicating Through a School Shooting
I wasn’t going to write about this week’s school shooting — mostly because, as a dad of a four-year-old in pre-K, I didn’t know what to say. The thought of reflecting on it more deeply makes me sad, sick, angry, and overwhelmed with emotions. But I spoke with my mom after the shooting, and she… Read more
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📘 Good to Great: What Separates a Communicator from a Strategic Communicator
Whether in corrections, emergency management, health care or local government, being a communicator means having the skills to share information. But being a strategic communicator means knowing how to lead with it. That distinction matters — especially in high-stakes environments where public trust, safety and credibility are on the line. As someone who has led… Read more