EP73 Hot take on Air Canada plane crash communications, with Lee Caraher

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A late-night plane crash is tragic on its own, but it also triggers a second crisis that unfolds at the speed of phones, headlines, and social feeds. We step through the early communications around the Air Canada Express crash at LaGuardia Airport involving a Jazz Aviation-operated flight, looking at what the public saw, what stakeholders needed, and where the response gained or lost precious time.

Tom Mueller is joined by PR leader Lee Caraher, president of Double Forte PR, for a “hot take” on the first statements, the lag between brands, a CEO video, and the practical realities behind the scenes. We talk about why the first 15 to 30 minutes matter more than ever, how preapproved holding statements can prevent legal bottlenecks, and why “we’re aware and working the problem” is often the most responsible message when facts are still emerging.

We also break down the CEO video response: the value of visible leadership, the importance of empathy you can hear, and the reputational risk of leaving half your audience behind when bilingual communication is expected. If you lead comms, ops, or legal, you’ll walk away with a clearer view of what “prepared” looks like when an incident is already online before your team is even fully awake.

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Reach Lee Caraher at Double-forte.com.

You can find her published works on Amazon here.

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