Why ‘no comment’ no longer works.
During the 2024 Los Angeles wildfires, Mayor Karen Bass faced criticism for her lack of response when approached by reporters upon her return from a trip abroad. The fires had forced over 100,000 people to evacuate and burned tens of thousands of acres.
As she arrived to Los Angeles International Airport, a Sky News reporter asked, “Do you owe citizens an apology for being absent while their homes were burning?” Bass did not respond. The reporter pressed further, questioning her about budget cuts to the fire department. Bass stayed silent and eventually walked away without acknowledging the questions.
“She had no comment,” said Michele Ehrhart, chief marketing and communications officer at the University of Memphis. “She planned a press conference for the next day, which was the right move, but in that moment, she gave them nothing. That became the story. In a crisis, silence creates its own story. If the crisis is about you or your company, you can’t ignore it. People will assume you’re hiding something.”
A simple acknowledgment could have changed the narrative, Ehrhart said.
“The mayor could have said, ‘Thank you for understanding, I just landed. I’m meeting with my team and will have answers tomorrow.’ That would have shown leadership. Instead, she dodged them, and the narrative turned against her.”
When to respond
When the crisis centers on your organization, you must respond, Ehrhart emphasized. That was the case with the Los Angeles fires – the city hadn’t done anything wrong, but their response was paramount to the lives of millions of people. However, if the issue doesn’t involve your brand, staying quiet can be the right approach.
There are exceptions, she added. Sometimes companies are drawn into controversies they didn’t create. In those cases, it’s important to monitor the conversation before reacting.
“Sometimes the right move is to sit, watch the news cycle, and see if it fades,” she said. “But if it’s about you, your decision, your mistake, your brand, you have to speak up.”
That holds true even when caught off guard, she added. “Whether you’re on a plane or in an airport, you have to be ready to say something,” she said.
The golden hour of response
Timing is also critical. Ehrhart calls it the “golden hour” or the short window between when an organization learns about a crisis and when they address it.
“It doesn’t have to be the minute it happens, but once you’re aware, you have a short period to say something,” Ehrhart said. “Even if it’s just a holding statement, you need to acknowledge the situation. Say you’re aware, you’re gathering information and you’ll update soon. That gives people confidence you’re on it.”
Brands want to avoid speculation, so quick response time is paramount, she said.
“No comment doesn’t mean what it used to,” Ehrhart said. “Today, people hear ‘no comment’ and think, ‘They must be guilty.’ And with social media, misinformation spreads faster than the truth.”
This means silent, vague or unclear responses are a no-go. Be timely, to the point and provide continuous updates on every channel possible, including social media, email and the company’s website. This ensures stakeholders see that there’s action and awareness, Ehrhart said.
Preparation matters
To avoid scrambling when the unexpected happens, Ehrhart urged companies to prepare in advance.
“If the first day you’re thinking about a crisis is the day it happens, it’s too late,” she said. “You need to plan the work and work the plan.”
That means having holding statements drafted, knowing who’s on the crisis response team and rehearsing scenarios.
Not all crises allow for perfect preparation, she said. But rehearsing helps throughout the process and will keep brands confident when crisis strikes.
“Football players don’t just show up for the game. They practice,” Ehrhart said. “The same is true for crisis response. You can’t predict everything, but you can build the muscle memory.”
Transparency and tone
At the core of any crisis response are three essentials, Ehrhart said. This includes facts, transparency and sentiment.
“Whatever you say needs to be true, transparent and in your brand voice,” she said. “Even if you don’t have all the answers yet, you can show honesty and empathy. That’s what people remember.”
The bottom line is that silence isn’t neutral, Ehrhart said. It’s risky.
“As soon as you leave a void, people will fill it for you,” Ehrhart said. “If it’s your crisis, you owe it to your audience to speak. That’s how you control the narrative and keep trust intact.”
Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at courtneyb@ragan.com.
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