In a crisis, what is your first instinct related to communications? Is it to issue a statement to the media as quickly as possible?

That makes sense – but it may be a crucial error.

You need to communicate in a crisis, of course. You need to educate, reassure, explain, frame and accomplish countless other objectives. And the news media remains a vital communications channel in the mix. But it’s just that – a channel. It’s not an audience.

As organizations and executives, you should take a strategic pause in these moments and focus on your most important audience: your stakeholders. You must be prepared to communicate with them quickly and directly, prioritizing each segment according to the specific issue at hand and your relationship with them.

Ask yourself some simple questions at the outset of an issue or crisis:

• Who is most affected by this situation? Customers? Employees? Partners and suppliers? Regulatory or government agencies? The public?
• What do they need to know or better understand at this critical moment?
• Who should they hear it from?

Look again at that last question. Often, the answer will not be the media. When the stakes are highest, you want to be the one delivering your message.

You want to tell your employees what’s going on. You want to outline your position to your customers. You want to provide investors with key information and context.

To be clear, there are exceptions. When the physical or financial safety of a substantial number of people is at risk, the news media is almost always the best way to alert them quickly. And, in general, reporters should receive timely responses with pertinent facts provided.

However, the media should not be the primary channel for communicating with the people who matter most to your organization. That approach is outdated, increasingly ineffective and can even be counterproductive.

The organizations and leaders that handle crises best speak directly to their stakeholders through channels they control. There are many options today: employee communications, customer alerts, website updates, leadership emails, investor outreach, official social platforms and more.

These leaders wait for no one to translate their position for them – they communicate early, clearly and repeatedly. They deliver their messages themselves, and in a manner that elicits important feedback.

That matters because stakeholders are not all asking the same question. Employees want honesty, reassurance and to feel like they’re valued. Customers want practical information. Investors want evidence of control. Community stakeholders want accountability.

You are the only one who can segment those stakeholders and address their specific needs in a way that is satisfying for everyone.

In a crisis, the shortest distance between an organization’s leadership and stakeholders is the most effective one. Direct communication is where trust is built, confusion is reduced and credibility is earned.