In Crisis PR, Truth Isn’t Enough: The Power of Public Perception
In crisis PR, “the truth will set you free” sounds nice in theory, but it doesn’t always work that way in practice. The reality is that being right doesn’t always matter—public perception does. Audiences believe what they see first, and a single, powerful story can shape opinions, true or not. My role is to make sure the truth doesn’t get lost but instead becomes a story that people actually listen to.
One of the biggest challenges in today’s PR world is cancel culture. A former client of mine—a well-respected academic—found himself at the centre of it over something he hadn’t even said. An old post with his name attached, wildly misinterpreted, resurfaced and sent social media into a frenzy. The post spread faster than anyone could verify, and the truth was left trying to catch up, huffing and puffing behind it. Being “innocent” was just one part of the puzzle. The real challenge was getting people to care about that innocence in a sea of outrage.
In that case, just stating facts wasn’t going to cut it. We crafted a response that emphasised his lifelong dedication to inclusion and academic integrity, reminding audiences of the person behind the post, someone who genuinely stood for the values they were accusing him of betraying. People don’t connect with cold, hard facts; they connect with humanity. We gave the public a more complete story, and they saw a human being who shared their values, not just a victim of misinformation.
Another example was a client who faced backlash after an “insensitive” tweet went viral. Yes, the tweet was taken wildly out of context, but at that point, people were in a mood to judge. Instead of a simple “correction,” we had to shift the spotlight onto his body of work—his years of charity work, his efforts to empower communities, his genuine efforts. By the time we were done, people saw him as a flawed but well-intentioned individual, not just a headline. The out-of-context tweet lost steam, and his reputation held strong.
In my experience, the truth often needs a little bit of storytelling to stand a chance against a scandal. In an age where assumptions easily become “facts,” crisis PR is about making sure the truth is not only heard but given the room it needs to compete. Sometimes it’s about showing who someone really is beyond the headlines, and sometimes it’s about reminding the public that one post or comment isn’t the whole story.
The truth alone isn’t always enough, but when it’s paired with authenticity and a bit of humanity, it can have the power to set the record straight. And in crisis PR, that’s the name of the game.