University presses face frequent and often unique challenges, one of the foremost being how to formulate a response to a crisis, whether related to the publishing program, the press’s home institution, or societal issues that intersect with our respective missions. How do you define a crisis? Which situations warrant a response, and how should it be expressed? Where does AUPresses or a press’s respective university take the lead in crisis communication response and when (if at all) should the individual press follow? This workshop aims to give marketing professionals a handle on approaching crisis communications by providing simulated crisis response situations to be tackled in small breakout groups followed by response feedback from experienced professionals. Attendees will come away with practical ways to prepare for, think about, and respond to crisis situations that might present themselves, ranging from press-specific issues such as a damaged author image to higher level predicaments like press criticism on the national level.
Organized by Elise Jajuga, Michigan State University Press
With panelists Angela Baggetta, Publicist, Angela Baggetta Communications; Peter Berkery, Executive Director, Association of University Presses; and Chuck Tombarge, Chief Public Relations Officer, University of Minnesota
Registration fee: $40 (members only; fee is per login, not per individual)
The session will be held using Zoom. Due to the use of breakout rooms, the session will not be recorded. You will receive information on accessing the session prior to the event.
The general session will be live captioned but the breakout room discussions will not. Please contact kkolendo@aupresses.org if you require assistance.