Crisis Communication
Social media is a key component of Montana State University’s crisis communication strategy. MSU regularly sends emergency notifications to its campus community in the event of a crisis, and those notifications are posted in a timely manner to all of Montana State University’s main social media channels.
The following accounts are controlled by Montana State University Communications. During a crisis situation MSU Communications works alongside key stakeholders, such as the University Police Department and MSU Emergency Management, to disseminate accurate information as soon as it is available.
During a crisis on campus, please pause or delete all normal and scheduled content. Posting “normal” content during a serious situation can come across as being tone deaf. You also do not want to clutter the social media feeds of your audience so that they miss pertinent information regarding the situation.
Additionally, please refrain from sharing your own information, messages, comments, etc. during a crisis situation. Share only official updates from MSU’s main social media channels listed above. The main university social media channels will always have the most updated and accurate information posted to them.
Furthermore, do not share information from outside sources, including from local or national media, during any crisis situation. Again, please only share posts from MSU’s social media channels listed above. This will limit the spread of misinformation and help the university to communicate accurate and consistent messages.
If there is a major crisis or event happening in another part of the United States, please be respectful by pausing or deleting all normal and/or scheduled content for the time being. Again, you do not want your social media channels to come across as being tone deaf. Always use your best judgement to “read the room” on social media.
If you have questions about the procedure during a crisis, please contact MSU’s Social Media Strategist for guidance at socialmedia@montana.edu.