New Report: Schools & Crisis Communications
Research released by Comsint Communications, a leading reputation consultancy and advisory firm, confirms that the intensity and range of media and social media conversations about crises confronted by America's schools continue to grow. Schooled by Strife: Crisis Communications Trends Impacting America's Schools identified five primary drivers behind this crisis communications trend: school violence, parent activism, educator misconduct, labor issues, and Title IX.
"Our report puts into context what we've been hearing from leaders in education for a long time: that they are increasingly pulled away from student services to address a growing number of public-facing crises," said Nick Puleo, president and founder of Comsint Communications. "From school violence to parent activism to Title IX, the frequency and volume of conversation on these issues online and in the media is on the rise. Understanding this landscape is critical for school leaders' ability to best prepare to defend their reputations and minimize the impact on students."
Schooled by Strife: Crisis Communications Trends Impacting America's Schools combined in-depth interviews with dozens of senior leaders from public school districts and private schools with a comprehensive, AI-driven analysis of US-based traditional news sources and social media content. Additional reports leveraging similar methodology are in process.
Key findings from the research:
In 2023, there was an average of 130 news stories per day in US media outlets covering school violence, ranging from weapons to violent incidents to bullying.
Social media conversations about parent protests and/or political action around school board hearings increased by 63 percent from 2022 to 2023.
On average, social and traditional media conversation around teacher or school administrator arrests lasts for 31.2 days, with additional spikes in interest occurring during key steps in the legal process.
Labor issues received 386 percent more attention in the news and online in 2023.
There was a 2,280 percent increase in coverage of educators found to have OnlyFans accounts.
"The drastic increase in volume across key topic areas makes the need for robust communications protocols and planning clear," added Puleo. "If issues are allowed to fester or are inadequately addressed, the reputations of schools and their leaders can be seriously damaged. Insights such as these are valuable tools for leaders to examine areas in which they might be vulnerable and begin addressing those issues early."
Click here for the full report.