The Q Club Tragedy
All inbound communication, including calls, email, website and social media, was actively monitored. Alerts were set up to track national and local news coverage, and efforts began immediately to observe the public narrative as it evolved. Managing Media Attention Interest from media outlets surged almost immediately. Reporters from national publications such as CNN, NBC, The New York Times, NPR and Newsweek began reaching out, and coverage intensified quickly. The Visit Colorado Springs team tracked storylines, looking for shifts in tone, focus, and misinformation that might need to be addressed. Tone and Timing of Messaging Given the close personal connection between the victims and members of the local hospitality community, early messaging required great care. A brief but sincere statement was posted to social media, followed by a pause in all regular communications. This silence allowed space for mourning and prevented misinterpretation of ongoing marketing activity. A BRIEF BUT SINCERE STATEMENT WAS POSTED TO SOCIAL MEDIA, FOLLOWED BY A PAUSE IN ALL REGULAR COMMUNICATIONS.
Initially, comment sections were left open. However, when it became clear they were being used to share misinformation and divisive rhetoric, commenting was disabled to protect the dignity of the conversation and the affected community. Only one additional post was shared in the following days, highlighting the arrival of a piece of the Sea-to-Sea Pride Flag at City Hall.
This symbolic moment was seen as relevant and meaningful, and in alignment with the community’s healing process. All paid advertising campaigns were suspended, and a banner alert was added to the Visit Colorado Springs website, again pointing to the city’s central crisis response page.
Destinations International CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS HANDBOOK
22
Powered by FlippingBook