Define the role
Name a primary spokesperson and backup through the institution’s actual approval process. Explain which subjects they can address and who verifies clinical, administrative and legal information. A confident public speaker does not automatically have permission to disclose sensitive material. Keep the assignment current when office-bearers or managers change.
Build a short preparation pack
Include approved institutional contact details, a basic factual update format and a route for checking uncertain information. Prepare a simple holding statement that says an incident is being assessed without inventing facts. Avoid prewritten conclusions about guilt, negligence or promised police action. Keep draft material clearly separate from an issued statement.
Practise an update cycle
In a tabletop exercise, ask how a correction would be issued if the first report contained an error. Record the source of each confirmed fact and the time of publication. Make sure staff know where to direct media requests. A single reliable information route can prevent contradictory messages from circulating during a stressful event.
Further reading
- 2019 revised statement · Violence and health ↗World Medical Association · Source checked 2026-09-10
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