An undelivered 50-year-old speech could seem like unlikely inspiration for a crisis media management blog.
But what if that speech was the words President Nixon would have said if the Apollo 11 mission had ended in disaster?
The speech was penned in the event of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, the astronauts of Apollo 11, becoming stranded on the moon, and being doomed to die there. Fortunately, the speech was not needed.
It was instead hidden away for nearly three decades before being uncovered while researching a book and has become prominent again in the past few days as the 50th anniversary of the mission approaches.
The speech Richard Nixon would have given ‘in event of moon disaster’ Washington Post
Moon landing anniversary: Richard Nixon’s speech in case of disaster REVEALED Express
Checkout Nixon’s secret speech in case of Apollo 11 fatal disaster International Business Times
The speech, titled ‘In event of moon disaster’ was scripted by White House speechwriter William Safire just days before the landing, among ‘acute fears of a mishap’.
It says: “Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace.
These brave men, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, know that there is no hope for their recovery. But they also know that there is hope for mankind in their sacrifice.
These two men are laying down their lives in mankind’s most noble goal: the search for truth and understanding.
They will be mourned by their family and friends; they will be mourned by their nation; they will be mourned by the people of the world; they will be mourned by a Mother Earth that dared send two of her sons into the unknown.
In their exploration, they stirred the people of the world to feel as one; in their sacrifice, they bind more tightly the brotherhood of man.
In ancient days, men looked at stars and saw their heroes in the constellations. In modern times, we do much the same, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood.
Others will follow, and surely find their way home. Man’s search will not be denied. But these men were the first, and they will remain the foremost in our hearts.
For every human being who looks up at the moon in the nights to come will know that there is some corner of another world that is forever mankind.”
What, can we learn from this speech almost 50 years on?
Preparation
While this speech may sound terribly grim, it should act as a reminder that organisations need to be prepared for things going terribly and tragically wrong.
Preparation is the key to crisis media management and that means having detailed contingency plans.
For an organisation in the modern world, it is perhaps unlikely that they will have speeches written. But they should have holding statements prepared which can meet the urgent demand for information.
At the time many people felt the astronauts only had a 50/50 chance of coming back alive, so it was crucial that there was an alternative plan if the mission was not successful. For other organisations, it may be harder to predict what could trigger a crisis, but a risk register can help identify possible vulnerabilities.
Does your crisis communications plan include a risk register?
Families
A good crisis media management plan should include details on how the organisation will communicate not just with the media and staff, but also, crucially, the relatives of those involved in an incident.
Families will be concerned and want information and they should be spoken to before any detailed public statements.
It’s worth noting in the memo that accompanies this speech, instructions are set out for the President to ‘telephone each of the widows-to-be’ prior to his statement.
Empathy
The speech Nixon never had to deliver is rich in imagery and almost poetic, but it also importantly puts the astronauts and their personal tragedy first.
In any crisis incident, it’s crucial organisations show concern and sympathy for those who have been affected in a crisis, whether that is people who have been physically injured or customers unable to access their accounts because of a computer glitch.
Putting those people at the start of your holding statement and showing you understand the severity of what has happened will demonstrate compassion, concern, and humanity.
Download our FREE eBook to find out more about planning for a crisis. It includes a checklist to helping you identify the right spokesperson, messaging templates and a risk register to help you identify your organisation’s vulnerabilities.
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