After the shooting of Trayvon Martin in late February, the public was in an uproar as to how the case was being handled. Crisis communications executives with public relations firms from South Florida and across the nation shuddered at the seemingly bungled events that followed, whether by the Sanford (Florida) Police Department or the local district attorney. From TV news shows to social media outlets, the case continues to be watched closely.

For business owners and executives, it offers a valuable lesson in crisis communications management.

After seven weeks, George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch captain who shot Martin, 17, was charged with second degree murder. Yet, from a public relations standpoint, the reputation of the Sanford Police Department suffered. Many believe the department could have done more to avoid the public scrutiny it faces today.

From the beginning, Chief Bill Lee appeared dismissive when asked about the investigation. He could have released statements that focus on what his department was doing to help with the investigation; instead he focused on how there was nothing to rebut Zimmerman’s claim of self-defense.

Then, on March 22, Lee “temporarily” stepped down from his post.

His lack of communication with the media and the public may have potentially lost him his job.

Less than a week later, the department released a statement warning members of the media to “refrain from approaching, phoning or emailing city employees when they are in their roles as private citizens…Law enforcement officials will not hesitate to make an arrest for stalking.” Crisis communication professionals balked. Threatening the media with arrest, except in situations where their presence could cause harm, generally is ill-advised. Sure enough, a day later, Sanford Police issued another statement rescinding the previous statement.

But the Sanford Police Department did manage to do one thing right. When a group of local students demonstrated outside the department, the police made no arrests. Instead of adding fuel to the fire, the police allowed the public to exercise its First Amendment rights. In the end, the students got their message across, and the police department earned some credibility for treating them respectfully.

Much remains to be done before the Trayvon Martin case comes to the close. From this point forward, though, it’s advisable for the Sanford Police Department to be responsive and transparent, to stick to the facts, and never to dismiss the chance to communicate openly and honestly with the media and the public. Such an approach certainly would have saved face for the department, and could well have saved one chief’s job.

Florida’s strong Cuban community is gung-ho for two things quintessentially American — the first, of course, capitalism, and the second, baseball. So when Time Magazine quoted Marlins Manager Ozzie Guillen saying, “I love Fidel Castro” this past weekend, things got a little fishy.

The Cuban community has made their voices loud and clear on this one, demanding that Guillen be fired from his post. The comment is not only insanely offensive, but it comes after the inauguration of the brand new Marlins stadium built in Little Havana this year. Who’s tax money do you think helped get that job done?

Today, Guillen inaugurated a crisis communications plan in attempt to make up for his hurtful words. “This is the biggest mistake of my life,” he said to a press conference. “When you make a mistake this big…I will learn from it.”

But honestly, Guillen is going to do have to do a tad bit better than that to win back the respect of the Latino and South Florida community at large. Suspended for five games, Guillen will have some time away from the ballpark to hopefully enact a smarter plan of action.

Guillen needs to stop talking the talk and start walking the walk. He should take pause to truly educate himself on why it was that his words were so painful and ignorant, and share his reflections with the public. In his return on April 17th — ironically, the anniversary of the Bay of Pigs Invasion — hopefully Guillen will address us with wise words on the day. He should look at this coincidental date as a public relations miracle, and correctly preparing for it may be the best way  to recover from the scandal.

As a South Florida public relations firm, we’ve seen the damage that the absence of a crisis communications plan can cause to any organization. The most recent example on the national stage came earlier this month when Susan G. Komen for the Cure cut funding from Planned Parenthood. Now, Komen — the largest national breast cancer non-profit — has a new mandate: To reel in the pink ribbions it’s been threading all over the media and take corrective action.

Reversing its plans to deny funding to Planned Parenthood on Friday, Komen has some serious damage control ahead to combat the 72-hour media storm it created.

Komen found itself inundated with criticism when it publically announced it would no longer provide funding for Planned Parenthood’s breast exam and educational activities geared toward low-income women. The premise for the cut: Komen would not support organizations under “investigation.” Planned Parenthood was facing a questionable inquiry by Republican lawmakers. It didn’t help Komen that a vice president was an ardent and vocal right-to-life supporter.

It’s no surprise that the move resulted in a national backlash against an otherwise highly respected organization. People withdrew support. Some women’s advocates cried foul. Even its California offices issued a statement decrying the decision.

Huffington Post described the move as “one of the most boneheaded political miscalculations that will have serious ramifications for Komen: supporters won’t forget this for years to come.”

First, Komen president Nancy Goodman Brinker hit the web with a video supporting its decision. Then days later and facing the backlash from supporters and women’s groups, Komen amended its statements to only cut funding to groups under investigations that are “criminal and conclusive in nature and not political.”

This is no way to fight a national P.R. fiasco.

Komen needs to enact a simple but effective crisis communications plan to clarify that it’s an organization that helps women. Like any organization, it must consider the potential publicity and negative ramifications of its actions before making moves or statements.

If it seeks to cut funding to various organizations it has supported in the past – a move that’s completely within its right – it must make sure the cuts don’t reek of politics or frivolous, agenda-motivated policy.

We give Komen kudos for recognizing its egregious error and taking action to right its course. But it now needs to stress that its mission as an organization is in tandem with that of Planned Parenthood – two organizations striving to better women’s health.

Then, it should get a crisis communications plan in place.

“Micky Arison should take ownership and get in front of the story,” said Boardroom’s president, Julie Talenfeld, in response to how Costa and Carnival should have responded to the Jan. 13th deadly accident. The current PR approach has both Costa and Carnival’s Doral headquarters under fire – especially after reports of the company offering shipwreck survivors a 30% discount on their next cruise. Media around the world has picked up the story – giving Carnival yet another crisis. CBS Morning show expressed amazement at the offer and the New York Post branded it as “tactless.”

The Miami Hearld reached out to our very own, Julie Talenfeld, for her expert advice and was quoted in today’s article, “Carnival Cruise Lines faces a hostile PR tide.” Click here to read full article.

What’s worse than being a liar? Falsely – and knowingly – accusing someone else of being one.

Completely unconnected yet intrinsically linked, both Penn State and Syracuse universities are under fire for child molestation charges surrounding athletic coaches.  While the charges against former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky have been hovering publicly over the university for weeks, the allegations against Big Orange’s associate head basketball coach, Bernie Fine, surfaced just Sunday night.

Both universities have done a poor job handling media relations – and both have used possibly the worst public relations move in the books: Accusing the accusers, without a shred of supporting evidence.

When the charges against Fine initially were brought to light, Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim was anything but sympathetic to the three alleged victims who came forward. He called them “liars” in the media and accused them of just being out for the money. Similarly, now-former Penn State University President Graham Spanier implied in his media release that the victims in Sandusky’s case were lying: “I am confident the record will show that these charges are groundless,” he wrote.

Besides being boldly insensitive, it was a big mistake.

In both situations, the price is high for covering-up information and completely disregarding victims’ legitimate allegations. Yet one school is learning from the other’s blunders. While Penn State foot-dragged and cancelled press conferences, Syracuse has been proactive in its crisis communications plan. For that, it should be commended.  In an effort not to repeat the serious lapses of Penn State — and after seeing Spainer lose his job — Syracuse Chancellor Nancy Cantor has taken the right steps to uncover the cover-up.

In a release Sunday night, the school announced upfront and outright, “At the direction of Chancellor Cantor, Bernie Fine’s employment with Syracuse University has been terminated, effective immediately.” No games. No deflections of blame. No cover-ups. And Cantor wants you to know this is under her order.

As a Sports Illustrated column so eloquently explains, “Syracuse is learning a lesson from Penn State, a lesson that every university and major institution needs to learn: When an accusation like this hits you, don’t hit back.  And the best way to protect yourself is not to look like you’re protecting yourself at all.”

And that’s no lie.

With 46 seasons as the head coach of a prestigious football program, more victories than any other major college coach and two national championships, it’s a shame that Penn State’s Joe Paterno might be ending his legacy with such a disgraceful final chapter.

Jerry Sandusky, a former defensive coordinator for the Nittany Lions, was arrested on 40 charges, including sexually abusing eight boys across a 15-year period. Following his arrest, Paterno and university President Graham Spanier have come under fire for failing to report what they knew of the allegations.

This is a serious issue and the university needs to implement a proper crisis communications plan in order to salvage the reputation of the school and its officials. So, what has Penn State done?

Release a statement from Paterno and elect the PR approach of evading all questions. Paterno stated that he was not neglectful and at the time he referred the matter to university administrators. He hoped to continue with the weekly press conference scheduled for yesterday afternoon requesting that media questions only pertained to this weekend’s game against Nebraska and stating, “In the meantime I would ask all Penn Staters to continue to trust in what that name represents… and not let these events shake their beliefs nor who they are.”

Nice try. In the wake of a major scandal involving a beloved football program, do we really think limiting the media’s question is the best way to go? No, Penn State canceled the press conference less than an hour before its scheduled time. Over 100 media members from local and national media were handed a brief statement and turned away. Paterno also canceled his appearance on the weekly Big Ten coaches conference call.

Penn State needs a better crisis plan and face the music, or in this case, the media. Avoiding the media is only raising more questions. Dodging questions and canceling events gives off the feeling that there is something to hide.

Had the press conference gone on as scheduled, Paterno and Penn State would’ve been able to tell the story from their side. Instead the media got their information elsewhere. Anyone familiar with media relations can tell you: the media will not take kindly to being kept in the dark.

On Tuesday night, Paterno took it upon himself and addressed the media and students outside his home hoping to save his reputation in the eyes of the students. However, this morning Paterno confirmed that he will retire at the end of the season, ending 62 years on the Penn State coaching staff – and is potentially facing criminal charges for perjury, obstruction of justice and violating the state’s Child Protective Services Law (According to SportsIllustrated.com).

“With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.”  – Paterno’s closing statement.

For all of you legal and CPA firm marketers, attorneys and service providers, we hope you can join us for the upcoming Legal Marketing Association Crisis Management program being held at Greenberg Traurig in Miami on November 17th.  This is a program Don Silver has moderated several times before, which provides the audience to take part in a real life crisis situation.  Hope you can make it.

At the Primetime Emmy Awards Sunday night, Charlie Sheen shelved his tiger blood and goddesses, and revealed a seemingly much less violent torpedo of truth.

Sheen seems to have taken a sabbatical from his previous antics, which lead to his firing from the hit comedy series, “Two and a Half Men.” With the season premiere of “Men” and his Comedy Central roast both airing on the Monday night after the Emmys, Sheen picked the perfect moment to debut his new, non-warlock self.

He also offered a lesson in why celebrities and other high-profile individuals – CEOs, executives and athletes – must protect their public personas, and apologize if they’ve transgressed.

Before being fired, Sheen was the highest paid actor on television at the time. Then, the meltdown. He held surreal interviews and television appearances. He spewed rhetorical nonsense that left viewers and media wondering about his mental state. He quickly became the hottest trending topic on Twitter for his outlandish posts and wild behavior.

Though he claimed to be “bi-winning,” this seemed like a huge lose-lose for Sheen, the show, and CBS.

So when Sheen took center stage at the Emmys to present the award for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – his old category – no one knew exactly what to expect. He was apologetic and humble. He wished his old series well. He said (with apparent sincerity), “I know you will continue to make great television.”

So the question is: Who was the Sheen we had just seen? Was it an act, or has he truly changed? More importantly, how will he be remembered? Will we look back on Charlie Sheen and think of the eight years he spent dominating primetime? Or will we recall only “Violent Torpedoes of Truth,” “Rock Star from Mars” or any of the other 22 phrases he sought to trademark? Only time will tell.

On a more broad scope, celebrities and others in the limelight – community leaders, presidents of corporations, executive directors of a charity – must watch how they act in public. Don’t act in ways or say things that will tarnish the personal or brand image. Behave with decorum. Beware who’s watching. If caught, apologize – quickly.

Though Sheen dug himself into a PR nightmare this past year, he’s managing to slowly dig himself out. He’s even endorsing the “Two And A Half Men” premiere with his replacement Ashton Kutcher, tweeting, “Odd…But cool..! So far a lot of laughs!”

Though his jury is still out, hopefully Charlie Sheen can emerge #winning.

The University of Miami football scandal has rocked the college sports community, players, and coaches for almost a month now.

In mid-August Yahoo! Sports reported the corruption within the University of Miami football program- detailing a UM football booster’s showering of 72 players (and even administrators!) with lavish gifts including parties at night clubs, prostitutes, jewelry, clothing, and electronics. Nevin Shapiro, the culprit who is currently serving time for a $930 million dollar Ponzi scheme, wined and dined the players to get into the “in crowd,” and develop a posse of top players turning top recruits and then pro. Shapiro is serving a 20-year prison sentence for his actions- but the University of Miami as a college, community, and brand is facing serious repercussions. In fact, in their September 5^th game against Maryland, certain UM players who were deemed ineligible to play because of their part in the scandal left many inexperienced freshmen taking over their positions. The investigation will continue on.

The scandal floats like a black cloud over campus, and University President Donna E. Shalala has only recently instated a crisis communications plan. As WPLG-Miami reporter Michael Putney writes in his opinion piece in The Miami Herald on August 23^rd, “UM President Donna Shalala certainly didn’t look good the other day striding around the campus with a pasted-on grin as she welcomed reporters, none of whose questions she would answer…Not even ‘no comment.’” Even if Shalala didn’t have all of the facts, we at Boardroom Communications would have advised her to at least let reporters know she was on their side. She could have said, “I have no comment at this time other than to say that we are taking this very seriously and investigating it,” or something of this nature, from the very start. Putney puts it well, asking, “Why didn’t Shalala just call a news conference, say she wouldn’t be answering questions and read the limp, ineffectual statement her office issued…?” Maybe the media would’ve given her a break if she went humbly to the camera right away.

Then again, it probably wasn’t too fun greeting the parents and students of the Class of 2015 amidst the biggest scandal in University of Miami history.

Shalala did pen a letter to the community, and has made two videos reaching out to the university and community at large- directly addressing the incident from her own office. “When our values come into question, we only have one option,” she says in the video. “Do what is right and have confidence in tomorrow. The allegations leveled…are serious. And we are treating them with the urgency and priority they warrant.” Shalala also notes that the NCAA has instructed her and the university to not yet comment on specifics, and her personal frustration with being “unable to speak more freely and answer questions.”

Though initially faltering (and getting beaten for it), Shalala is starting to take the right steps by confidently looking straight into the camera and accepting responsibility for this scandal. When CEOS and corporate executives are faced with any sort of catastrophe, more often than not there is simply a press release, a general statement sent to publications and mass media, and nothing more. Shalala has employed a simple yet successful public relations strategy- appearing personal, humbled, and intimate with her audience and community. It’s obvious that she and the University of Miami administration are trying very hard to remain proactive in an attempt to redeem themselves and the reputation of their college. Thankfully, their current coach Al Golden remains untainted by the scandal- having arrived long after Shapiro’s departure. If he takes the reins and focuses on the future, maybe, just maybe, Miami can recover.

Well, it’s that time of year again- Hurricane Season. Though we’re bound to miss Hurricane Irene here in South Florida (at least according to the latest weather report), the freak 5.8 earthquake that struck on Tuesday, August 23^rd, has rocked the East Coast. Reporters from Virginia to New York covered the storm in great detail, and sirens blasted on Capitol Hill to alert all of the news.

One of the biggest headlines of the day, it seemed, was the fact that President Obama and his family were vacationing at Martha’s Vineyard- where they could feel the earth rumble. In fact, according  an article in  the Washington Post, he was actually on the golf course when it happened! Obama’s 10-day vacation in Martha’s Vineyard makes for a stark contrast with much of the country’s current economic woes, but it turns out it was a natural disaster that, as the Post puts it, “pierced his vacation bubble.”

For us, perception often becomes reality- and this mental image of Obama playing golf while the country is shaking both literally and figuratively- with the economic crisis, unrest in Libya, and fire in the Middle East- has hit many hard. Obama needs to up the ante in making us believe he’s there for us. It’s all about perception, and maintaining a positive image in the press. At first, Obama kept a low profile on his vacation, according to an article in the Boston Globe,  and White House aides made it a priority to stress that the president was working each day and keeping correspondence with economic adviser Brian Deese and counterterrorism adviser John Brennan.

In light of recent events, however, Obama needs to put down the clubs and address the nation. He needs to conduct a serious crisis communications plan to score a more positive image with American citizens and, ultimately, regain our trust. His aides need to convey that he has been working around the clock, 24/7, even in the beautiful setting of Martha’s Vineyard. In public relations, Obama’s situation provides us with a valuable lesson about branding oneself. We want to see him as our Commander in Chief, our guiding light, and inspire us to believe once again that, yes, we can!