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 short, pre-drafted message used to acknowledge an incident, demonstrate awareness, and set expectations for future updates. It is not meant to provide every answer—in fact, it shouldn’t. Instead, it shows that your organization is engaged, responsive, and committed to providing accurate information as soon as it is available. In other words, it buys you credibility at the exact moment when your credibility is most at risk.

The Shrinking Window of Response

For years, communicators referenced the “golden hour” of crisis response—the critical 60 minutes to get ahead of a breaking story. But the speed of today’s information environment has made that hour a luxury we no longer have. Between the 24-hour news cycle and the real-time nature of social media, the golden hour has collapsed into a golden 15 to 30 minutes.

That may sound unreasonable, even impossible, but it reflects the new reality. If your organization does not speak quickly, someone else will. That “someone else” might be an eyewitness with a smartphone, a blogger, or a competitor looking to control the story. In those moments, speed is not just an advantage—it is a necessity.

This is where holding statements shine. They allow your team to respond in near-real time, often within 15 minutes of an incident being reported. By acknowledging awareness and providing reassurance, you keep your organization in control of its voice and its role as the trusted source of information.

What Makes a Good Holding Statement

The best holding statements share a few key characteristics. They are short, often no more than three or four sentences. They avoid speculation, sticking to only what can be confirmed. They follow a clear structure: acknowledge what has happened, explain what is being done right now, and set expectations for what comes next.

That simple “past, present, future” framework is enough to create a credible and clear message. For example, a law enforcement agency might say: “We are aware of reports of an incident in the downtown area. Officers are on scene, and the situation is being investigated. We will provide an update as soon as more information is confirmed.”

Notice that this statement does not guess at details, assign blame, or overpromise. It acknowledges, it informs, and it reassures—all without locking the agency into information that may later prove incorrect.

Tone is equally important. A holding statement should be steady, confident, and compassionate. Even if little is known, a few words of empathy can go a long way: recognizing that the public may be concerned, that families may be impacted, or that the community deserves answers. In large-scale incidents, a holding statement can also provide practical details, such as the location of a media staging area. That logistical step not only directs journalists but also reinforces that the organization is in control of the response.

The Role of Templates

The challenge, of course, is that crises rarely occur under calm conditions. Stress is high, information is incomplete, and leaders are demanding updates while the public is clamoring for answers. In that environment, even the most seasoned communicator can struggle to craft the right words.

That is why templates are essential. Having a library of pre-approved holding statements for likely scenarios—such as accidents, weather events, law enforcement activity, or system outages—allows organizations to move from silence to statement in a matter of minutes. Templates eliminate the bottlenecks of drafting and approval, enabling communicators to publish with confidence and speed.

A template is not a script to be copied word-for-word every time. Instead, it is a scaffolding. It provides the tone, the structure, and the basic language that can be quickly customized for the specific event. By doing the hard work of thinking about tone and phrasing in advance, templates give communicators a head start when seconds matter most.

Why It Matters

A holding statement will never answer every question. That is not its purpose. Its power lies in preventing the narrative from slipping away before the facts are clear. It demonstrates that your organization is present, that it is acting, and that it will continue to communicate.

Done well, a holding statement builds trust. It reassures the public, calms the media environment, and reinforces your role as the official source of information. Done poorly—or not at all—it leaves a void that others will fill with rumor, speculation, and misinformation.

The difference often comes down to preparation. The agencies that succeed in crisis communication are not the ones with the most resources or the biggest teams. They are the ones who planned ahead, practiced their process, and built the tools they need to move faster than the crisis itself.

Final Thought

In today’s communication environment, speed and credibility are everything. A holding statement will not solve every problem, but it will buy your team the time it needs to gather facts and craft a more complete message. It is the first line of defense in crisis communication, and one of the simplest tools an organization can prepare in advance.

At PDR Strategies, we believe that preparation is the cornerstone of effective communication. Holding statements are not just helpful, they are essential. They allow organizations to respond within minutes, not hours, and to do so with confidence, clarity, and compassion. In a world where the story moves at the speed of social media, that may be the difference between leading the narrative and losing it.