Amazon.com Gives No. 1 Ranking to Crisis Communication Book Authored by PRSA's Chair Elect — College of Fellows Rene A. Henry, APR

Business Wire, April 4, 2000

Business Editors

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 4, 2000

"You'd better have a hose if you want to put out the fire" by Rene

A. Henry named the best-selling crisis communication book

The Philadelphia Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) announced that Amazon.com has ranked You'd better have a hose if you want to put out the fire by Rene A. Henry, APR - No. 1 among all crisis communication books in sales.

Amazon.com's national ranking supports the publisher's claim that Henry's book is the complete guide to crisis and risk communications. The 320-page paperback offers professional crisis communication tips, tactics, dos, don'ts, and case histories, which are based on Henry's 30 years of experience advising Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and foreign governments.

At a time when company crises make front-page news every day, Henry's book answers a real need for better crisis and issues management.

"The companies, organizations, and institutions most vulnerable to a crisis are those whose managers believe they are immune. And, most management teams are either unprepared or under-prepared to deal with a crisis," said author Henry.

Henry offers numerous case studies to help readers learn how to successfully communicate in many different adversarial situations - as well as how to avoid the mistakes of others.

Through these case studies and instruction, Henry walks readers through:

-- Preparing a vulnerability checklist and ideas for a crisis communication plan

-- Managing and dealing with the crisis situation at hand

-- Dealing with attorneys who believe that "silence is golden" and avoiding the dangerous "no comment" response

-- Taking the offensive, fighting back, and winning when unfairly attacked

-- Maintaining effective communication after an incident to minimize damage

"One of the most useful aspects of this book is its down-to-earth quality," said Dr. Priscilla Murphy, who teaches a graduate class in crisis communication at the School of Communications & Theater, Temple University.

"This kind of approach is especially helpful for executives, in any type of business, who may not be specialists in communication but who need a sound, no-nonsense grounding in how to handle crises."

"Rene's book serves as a wake-up call to every executive who dares to think, 'That could never happen to us,'" said Rick Alcantara, president of the Philadelphia Chapter of PRSA and principal of Tara Communications. "He shows in plain language why every organization should address crises before they occur."

About Amazon.com

Amazon.com is the Internet's No. 1 book retailer. Readers can order "You'd better have a hose if you want to put out the fire" by Rene A. Henry through Amazon's Web site at www.amazon.com.

About PRSA

PRSA is the largest public relations trade association in the country with some 20,000 practitioners nationwide. Philadelphia is one of the largest chapters in the organization with 300 practitioners throughout the Greater Philadelphia region.

www.prsa.philly.org

Editor's Note: Author's Biography Available Upon Request