Exxon Valdez — The Environmental and PR Disaster
On March 24th, 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker hit Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, spilling 11 million gallons of crude oil. It devastated the local ecosystem and became one of the largest environmental disasters in US history. The eco-disaster lives on, as does the PR nightmare for Exxon — experts still use the company’s response to illustrate what not to do: disregard your own response plans; appear arrogant by ignoring local advocacy groups; fail to engage the media. Add media training to your disaster planning curriculum; either professional training or using case studies to learn from others’ successes and failures. Particularly if your agency is viewed as being at fault for something, your disaster communications can either fuel the flames of pain, anger and distrust, or it can facilitate hope and healing.
