On the first really nice day of the year, most people stop thinking about winter. If you’ve worked in government or public affairs, you don’t. Getting to the point where you no longer have to manage public response to a snowstorm still feels like a relief. When I led communications for Pennsylvania and Governor Wolf, snowstorms were one of the most consistent and challenging crisis communications scenarios we faced. Crisis Communications Planning Matters. But It’s Not Enough.

"Is this actually a crisis?" Effective crisis communications planning starts with this simple question. And your organization's crisis might look very different from another's. For some organizations, a crisis means imminent danger, or even a loss of life. For others, it might mean a downturn in customers. A few days in the social media ringer. Internal employee backlash. I've seen the paralysis and consequences of not understanding what constitutes a crisis for an organizati

We spent yesterday in Harrisburg with PA Literacy Coalition for their 2026 PA Literacy Summit & Day of Action. The PA Literacy Coalition ran a great Harrisburg advocacy day. They kept a packed day moving, juggling meetings, speaking, and planning with enthusiasm. Advocacy and Outreach to Legislators in Harrisburg The day brought together advocates, legislators, educators, storytellers, and folks from across PA and the country who are genuinely excited about improving

Winging it without a crisis communications plan is risky but a lot of organizations do it anyway. We're all consumers of media. Have you seen the difference between an organization that's ready for a crisis and one that clearly isn't? It's not an accident. A lot of the times, we get called in after a crisis breaks. Something bad happens, someone Googles or ChatGPTs "crisis communications firm" and we pop up. We have experience with all sorts of situations, templates

What is the value of a good initial response to a crisis? What does a poor initial response cost you and your team? Social Media Crisis Communications Training Tool We developed Siege, a social media crisis training tool, to help teams prepare and train for a crisis with a realistic flow of information, new events, and AI personas that react to what you do and say. The training tool helps teams see how their response impacts the organization and the crisis by tracking t

In Pennsylvania, the governor's budget address kicks off five months - sometimes 8 to 12 months - of negotiations, hearings, votes, and consternation. Folks pick apart the governor’s budget address. How many times did he mention farms, main streets, or schools? Where did he focus his applause lines? What was the tone like toward Republicans? How did he credit Democrats? Advocates can also read the tea leaves in the immediate aftermath of the governor’s budget, too. The mos

Here we go again. In a few days, Governor Josh Shapiro will give his fourth budget address. It’s a long way from his first budget address in 2023. When he stepped up to speak to the gathered lawmakers in the Capitol rotunda during renovations to the House Chamber, he was a new governor with a promise to deliver results for Pennsylvania families. Since he spoke, he’s been the runner-up in the Veep stakes after President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 Presidential race and

Many Pennsylvania-based nonprofits and businesses face threats against their reputation and operations, even if they don't realize it. At Fi