Chapter 16, Communicating in a crisis¶

Part III, ACTING: WITH OUR OWN MEANS

In a disaster, communication is not a public relations exercise. It is an operational tool. Good communication coordinates teams, mobilizes resources, reassures members, attracts donations and protects the club's reputation. Bad communication, or no communication at all, generates confusion, rumors, distrust, and can destroy in a few hours what your club took years to build.

You do not need a communications director. You need clear rules, a single spokesperson, and the discipline to apply them when everything is moving fast.

One spokesperson, period¶

This is the most important rule of this chapter. A single person speaks on behalf of the club to the media and the public.

Not two. Not "depending on the topic." Not "the president for the media and the secretary for social media." One person. Identified. Designated before the disaster. With a deputy in case of unavailability.

Why this rule is absolute¶

Two spokespersons saying slightly different things create a contradiction. The media love contradictions.
A well-intentioned member who gives an approximate interview can commit the club to false figures, unsustainable promises, or political declarations.
In a stressful situation, people talk too much, speculate, exaggerate. A trained spokesperson controls the message.

Spokesperson profile¶

Quality	Why
Calm under pressure	Journalists ask provocative questions, you must keep control
Factual	Says only what they know. "I don't have this information at the moment" is an acceptable answer
Available	Reachable 18h/day during the acute phase
Coordinated	In permanent contact with the Disaster Coordinator to have the latest figures
Aligned with the District	Never contradicts District spokesperson messages

What the spokesperson does and does not do¶

To do	Not to do
Communicate verified facts	Speculate on causes or developments
Give regular updates	Allow prolonged silence (the information vacuum is filled by rumors)
Show the club's concrete action	Exaggerate figures or results
Thank donors and volunteers	Forget to mention partners
Coordinate with the District	Contradict DG or DRO messages
Say "I don't know, I'll get back to you with the information"	Invent an answer to fill a blank

Instruction to all members¶

At the start of the operation, send this message to all members:

COMMUNICATION INSTRUCTIONS — [Club name]

All public communication (media, social networks, interviews)
goes EXCLUSIVELY through our spokesperson:

Name: ___________________
Phone: ______________
Email: __________________

If a journalist contacts you, reply:
"Thank you for your interest. Our spokesperson is
[name], reachable at [number]. He/she will be able to answer
all your questions."

Do NOT give any figure, any statement, any opinion
to the media or on social networks without prior validation.

Communication channels by phase¶

Each response phase uses different channels for different audiences.

Alert phase (0-24 hours)¶

Channel	Use	Audience
SMS / text message	Initial alert, verification of member status	Club members
WhatsApp "Disaster Committee"	Real-time operational coordination	Restricted committee
WhatsApp "All members"	General announcements, situation updates	All members
Direct phone	Alert to DG and DRO	District
Amateur radio (VHF/UHF)	Backup communication if networks saturated	Operational

Response phase (24-72 hours)¶

Channel	Use	Audience
WhatsApp groups	Inter-team coordination, field photos	Operational teams
Email	SITREP to the District, donor communication	District, donors
Club Facebook page	First public statement, call for donations	General public
Club website	Detailed information, donation link	General public
Phone	Coordination with authorities, NGOs, other clubs	Partners

Stabilization phase (72h - 2 weeks)¶

Channel	Use	Audience
Email	Daily operational reports	District
Social media	Regular updates with photos and figures	General public, donors
Club newsletter	Operation narrative, thanks	Members, regular donors
Weekly conference call	Coordination with the District	DRO, partner clubs

Recovery phase (2 weeks+)¶

Channel	Use	Audience
Email	Weekly reports	District, donors
Social media	Impact stories, before/after photos	General public
Impact report	Complete review with figures and testimonials	TRF, major donors
Thank-you event	Public recognition	Volunteers, donors, partners

Communication frequency¶

Frequency is not optional. It is scheduled. If you do not communicate, people assume the worst.

Phase	Frequency	Recipients	Format
0-24h (alert)	Every 2-4 hours	Members, DG, DRO	SMS/WhatsApp: 3-5 lines maximum
24-72h (response)	Twice a day (noon + evening)	Members, District, donors	Short SITREP (10-15 lines)
72h-2 weeks (stabilization)	Once a day (evening)	District, partners	Structured operational report
2 weeks+ (recovery)	Once a week	District, donors, public	Progress report + photos

Silence is your enemy. Even if you have nothing new to say, communicate: "Situation stable. Operations ongoing. Next update at 7:00 PM." The absence of communication creates anxiety.

Communication with the District: the SITREP format¶

The SITREP (Situation Report) is the standard communication format between the club and the District. It is designed to be read in 2 minutes by a DRO who may be managing 10 clubs simultaneously.

SITREP structure¶

SITREP No. [number] — Rotary Club of [name]
Date/Time: [date] [time]
Event: [type] — [location]

1. GENERAL SITUATION [3-5 lines maximum]
   [Evolution since the last SITREP. New facts.]

2. IMPACT (updated figures)
   Population affected:             _______
   Families displaced:              _______
   Beneficiaries served today:      _______
   Cumulative beneficiaries:        _______

3. OPERATIONS IN PROGRESS
   - [Action 1: status]
   - [Action 2: status]
   - [Action 3: status]

4. RESOURCES
   Active volunteers:               _______
   Available funds:                 _______ USD
   Funds spent (cumulative):        _______ USD
   DRG: requested / received / in progress  _______

5. UNMET NEEDS
   - [Need 1: urgency and quantity]
   - [Need 2: urgency and quantity]

6. COORDINATION
   [Who are you working with? Planned meetings?]

7. NEXT STEPS
   [What you plan in the next 24-48 hours]

Next SITREP: [date/time]
Contact: [spokesperson — name, phone, email]

SITREP rules¶

Rule	Detail
Short	Maximum 1 page. If longer, it is a report, not a SITREP.
Factual	Figures, not opinions. "150 meals distributed," not "many people helped."
Numbered	Each SITREP has a sequential number. The DRO must be able to know if one was missed.
Timestamped	Precise date and time. Information ages fast in a disaster.
Sent on time	If you announce the next SITREP at 7:00 PM, it goes out at 7:00 PM. Not at 9:00 PM.

Communication with donors¶

Donors are your financial partners. They deserve to know exactly what their money produced. Transparent and regular communication with donors generates more future donations than any fundraising campaign.

Principles¶

Total transparency. Publish what you received and what you spent. If you made an allocation error, say so too.
Measurable impact. No vague formulas. "Your 500 USD donation funded 250 meals for 50 families over 5 days."
Photos and testimonials. With the consent of those photographed. Show distributions, kitchens, shelters, not victims in distress.
Personalized thanks. For large donations (threshold to be defined by the club), a call or personal letter from the President.
Tax receipts. If your club can issue tax receipts, send them quickly. A receipt sent 6 months after the donation is a lost receipt.

Donor communication calendar¶

Deadline	Communication	Content
D+1	Acknowledgment of donation	"Thank you. Your donation of [amount] has been received. It will be used for [purpose]."
D+7	First update	First-action figures, field photos
D+14	Second update	First fortnight review, consolidated figures
D+30	Interim impact report	Complete review: how much received, how much spent, how many beneficiaries, before/after photos
D+90	Final report	Complete operation review, thanks, lessons learned

Social media are an amplifier. They amplify good actions as much as mistakes. Master them or they will master you.

#	Principle	Application
1	No publication without spokesperson validation	Even an Instagram post by a well-intentioned volunteer
2	No identifiable photos of victims without consent	Blur faces or photograph from behind if no consent
3	Systematically mention partners	NGOs, authorities, other clubs, Rotary does not work alone
4	Include the donation link if a fundraiser is active	Every post is a fundraising opportunity
5	Reply to comments and questions factually	Do not ignore, do not get angry, do not delete (except hate speech)
6	Publish regularly rather than massively	1-2 posts per day, not 10 posts in an hour then silence

Post templates¶

Post 1, Initial alert (first hours)

[MOBILIZATION] The Rotary Club of [name] is mobilizing following
[type of event] that hit [area] on [date].

Our assessment teams are in the field. We will be back
with more information in the coming hours.

If you would like to help: [link or contact]

#Rotary #[event] #Solidarity

Post 2, Actions in progress (D+1 to D+3)

[DAY [X] — FIELD]

For [number] hours, our volunteers have been mobilized:
• [X] meals distributed to [X] families
• [X] liters of drinking water delivered
• [X] families sheltered in temporary housing

Needs remain immense. We need:
• [need 1]
• [need 2]

To donate: [link]
To help in the field: [contact]

Thanks to [partners] for their support.

[Photos of the action — NOT victims in distress]

#Rotary #[event] #HelpOnTheGround

Post 3, Impact report (D+14 or end of operation)

[REVIEW — [X] DAYS OF MOBILIZATION]

Thanks to you, thanks to our [X] volunteers, thanks to our
partners, here is what we accomplished:

• [X] people received food
• [X] liters of drinking water distributed
• [X] families sheltered
• [X] cumulative volunteer hours
• [X] USD mobilized and used

Thanks to every donor. Thanks to every volunteer.
The work continues.

Full report: [link]

#Rotary #Impact #Thanks

Managing rumors and disinformation¶

In a disaster, disinformation is inevitable. It can take the form of local rumors ("Rotary keeps the aid for its members"), false information on social media, or accusations of favoritism in distribution.

The anti-rumor setup¶

Action	Responsible	Detail
Monitoring	1 dedicated member	Monitor local social media, community WhatsApp groups, comments on club posts
Detection	Same member	Immediately report to the spokesperson any false information circulating about the club
Verification	Spokesperson + coordinator	Verify facts before any response. Collect evidence (photos, receipts, lists)
Response	Spokesperson only	Factual, calm, documented response. Published on the same channels as the rumor.
Prevention	Proactive communication	The more verifiable facts you communicate, the less fertile ground rumors find

Frequent rumor types and responses¶

Typical rumor	Typical response
"Aid is diverted / stolen"	Publish distribution registers (anonymized), distribution photos, receipts. "Every distribution is recorded. Our registers are audited by the District."
"Some families receive more than others"	Explain distribution criteria (household size, specific needs). "Each family receives according to the number of persons and identified needs."
"Rotary is doing nothing"	Publish precise figures. "Since D+0, we distributed [X] meals, sheltered [X] families, deployed [X] volunteers for [X] hours."
"Aid goes to Rotary friends"	Publish eligibility criteria and coverage area. "Aid is distributed based on needs assessment, not Rotary membership."
"Donations are not properly used"	Publish the financial report. "Here is the breakdown of how the [X] USD received was used."

The golden anti-rumor rule¶

Never respond hot-headed to a public accusation.

Acknowledge the accusation
Verify the facts (24 hours maximum)
Draft a factual, quantified, non-emotional response
Have it validated by the spokesperson AND the club president
Publish on the same channel as the accusation
Do not enter into a debate. A single response message, factual. If the person insists, do not reply publicly, offer a private exchange.

The best weapon against rumors is documentation. If every distribution is recorded, every expense justified by a receipt, every beneficiary identified, rumors run into facts. That is why Chapter 13 insists so much on documentation from H+0.

AI-generated content: deepfakes, synthetic images, and algorithmic disinformation¶

In 2026, any disaster generates within hours a wave of AI-generated content alongside the genuine footage: synthetic images of damage that did not occur, audio deepfakes of officials announcing decisions they never made, and algorithmically amplified posts crafted to provoke emotional sharing. This is no longer a fringe risk, it is the default information environment of every modern crisis.

The implication for a Rotary club is concrete: if you relay a viral image or audio clip without checking, you become a vector of disinformation under your club's name. The damage to credibility is immediate and durable.

Three reflexes before relaying anything¶

Reverse-image search. Before relaying any photo or video, run it through a reverse image search (TinEye, Google Lens, Bing Visual Search). If the image existed before the disaster, under another caption, it is recycled or fabricated. This takes 30 seconds.
Verify the original source. Trace the content back to a verified channel: an official account (district, civil protection, news outlet with editorial responsibility), a written press release, or a known journalist. A screenshot of a screenshot is not a source.
Wait 30 minutes before sharing anything "spectacular." AI-generated content is engineered to provoke immediate sharing. Thirty minutes of patience is enough for verifiable sources, or debunks, to surface.

Three signals that should make you pause¶

Audio of an official whose tone, cadence, or accent shifts mid-sentence. Voice cloning is now within reach of anyone with a few seconds of public audio. If a recording of a DG, mayor, or civil protection officer feels off, treat it as suspect by default.
Images that are too perfect. Generated images often fail on hands (extra or fused fingers), teeth, ears, and the consistency of shadows or reflections. Look at edges and small details, not the centre of the frame.
Emotional urgency to share. Captions that demand "share immediately" or "before they take it down" are a tell. Genuine emergency communication from authorities does not depend on viral relay.

One club rule¶

No official communication from the club is ever delivered by an unsigned audio message or a forwarded screenshot. Every official message goes through an authenticated channel, the verified club account, a signed PDF on club letterhead, or a phone callback to confirm. Members are told this once, in writing, before disaster season. After that, anything that fails this test is treated as suspect, no matter how plausible it sounds.

Communication checklist, to post in the HQ¶

Operation: ________

Role	Name	Phone
Spokesperson	____	____
Deputy	____	____

Actions to validate

Communication instructions sent to all members
WhatsApp groups created (Committee / Team leaders / All members)
SITREP No. 1 sent to District within 4 hours
First public statement published within 24 hours
Donation link activated and tested
Social media monitoring activated
Communication frequency established and announced

Reminder. No public communication without validation from the spokesperson. This rule applies to everyone, without exception.

Phase	Content type	Tone	Frequency
First hours	Alert + mobilization	Sober, factual	1 post
First days	Concrete actions + needs	Active, concrete (field photos)	1-2 posts/day
First week	Impact + ongoing needs	Empathetic, mobilizing	1 post/day
Week 2+	Impact + thanks	Grateful, inspiring	3-4 posts/week
After	Review + lessons	Retrospective, positive	1 final post