Upon the breaking scandal of the News of the World, Rupert Murdoch gathered some leading experts to help him successfully navigate the unfolding crisis and the big mess. Alex Bigg and James Lundie from Edelman, the world's biggest PR firm, and Steven Rubenstein from Rubenstein Public Relations, a fixture in New York communications, are among the team members. The team was led by Joel Klein, who once headed the U.S. Justice Department's antitrust unit, and Matthew Anderson, who runs News Corp's strategic affairs. All big names to fight the big fire.
From this group of advisers came the suggestion late last week that Murdoch sit down with and apologize to the parents of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, whose phone was hacked by his now-shuttered Sunday tabloid, News of the World. The very same group also prepared him for the hearing at the British parliament.
Now after the paper is down, will it be enough for a quick recovery and cleaning the mess?
Crisis management is, with little doubt, very important. So why do many executives do so little so late, when the crisis is in full bloom. Murdoch assembled a first class team to help him dealing with the crisis, but it was just a week before his hearing in front of British lawmakers.
We can often prepare ourselves for the next crisis even before it erupts. Careful planning and attention can sometimes even help us to defray the crisis even as it is starting. Had Murdoch and News Corp started preparing several years ago for this ever-so-evident looming risk, the story might be different today.