Today I had the privilege of attending a seminar hosted by the Blue Ridge Chapter of the PRSA. A special thanks to my colleagues, Ernest DelBuono and Betsy Parkins, of ND&P for their hard work in organizing the event.
Thanks to them, the other attendees and I shared in the experience of hearing first-hand, the sincere story of Morgan Harrington's disappearance from her parents, Dr. Dan Harrington and his wife, Gil Harrington. It was in their honest effort to reach out through the media—the right way, that Morgan's story was heard and still lives today. Morgan's Story.
Digital Strategist, Valerie Elston was at the core of managing the Harrington's online and social media presence after Levick Strategic Communications volunteered their services to the Harrington family. Valerie shared slides that illustrated strategies and tactics implemented throughout the social media campaign.
Corinne Geller, Public Relations Manager of the Virginia State Police, gave us insight from her unique perspective on the crisis communications involved in this particular case. Her energy and wit shined a light on a side of the VSP, I and many others probably never think much about. It's thanks to hard work by her and others like her that stories are vetted properly so that the public gets the right information (most of the time).
And finally, Amy Morris, News Director of WDBJ, talked about her hand in the case of Morgan's disappearance and the role the local affiliate played in relation to other media outlets, including the national networks.
Never having met in person before, it was evident that these three women shared a unique bond through their experience in working on such a heart-wrenching case. Each, doing their job effectively and knowledgeably.
It's with understanding the importance of the role played by social media in these crisis communications that I can truly appreciate and learn from their efforts.
A special thanks to all of the speakers, the Harringtons, and the Blue Ridge Chapter of the PRSA.
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