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National Zoo Uses E-Mail During Crisis
The National Zoo in Washington, DC has undergone a crisis in recent months that resulted in its Director resigning a few weeks ago. Unwilling to let the events play out in “The Washington Post,” the Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) embarked on a series of informative and forthright e-mails to their members which kept them informed throughout the process. The first went to members the day the story broke in “The Post.” The story detailed how several animals had died in the zoo under circumstances that indicated a lack of professional care, and implied that standards of care from the Zoo’s director on down had not been up to par. The e-mail dealt with the article head-on and assured members that a full investigation would follow, and that the truth would come out. On February 24, an e-mail was sent to members inviting them to participate online in a briefing of the Interim Report of that investigation, which would be conducted the following day. On March 2, the zoo announced the resignation of its Director, Lucy H. Spelman. By 5:30 pm, an e-mail had also been sent to members containing the text of that letter and a personal note to members from Dr. Spelman. On March 11, another e-mail, this one from both the Executive Director and the President of the Board of FONZ, elaborated on the upcoming final report and steps the zoo is taking, and promised more updates. This series of communications shows how an organization can deal with a public relations crisis with prompt, honest and meaningful e-communication with its members and supporters. All organizations can take a lesson from FONZ. March 2004 | |
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