Tim Gilman of Oshkosh Corporation lays out a practical framework—Noise, Issue, Crisis—and a three-step response model to help PR teams decide when and how to act in the always-on online news environment.
Classify online mentions as Noise, Issue, or Crisis to decide whether to monitor, engage, or activate a crisis plan.
Focus on maintaining trust with key stakeholders rather than trying to suppress every negative comment.
# Why the distinction matters
# The three categories of online chatter
Noise is isolated, low-impact negative comments that occasionally surface on social media. Example: one customer complains about a cold cheeseburger. There is no mainstream media coverage. The content is unflattering but has little effect on the company's reputation. Recommended response: monitor but do not escalate. Engaging can amplify the issue unnecessarily.
A crisis exists when mainstream media begin reporting the story, social channels are trending the topic, employees demand answers, and stakeholders like investors or customers are affected. A crisis can damage trust with key stakeholders. Example indicators include falling share prices or official investigations. Recommended response: activate your crisis plan and operate at speed—flexibility and adaptation are crucial as the story evolves.
# What to measure and what to do PR teams should prioritize signs of momentum: volume of complaints, pickup by niche and mainstream media, internal concern among employees, and impacts on stakeholder behavior (e.g., share price movement). The framework's objective is to protect trust with stakeholders—investors, employees, and customers—rather than to eliminate every negative headline.
# A concise crisis response model Gilman urged teams to move beyond static playbooks because modern crises move too fast. He contrasted two states: responding (you have a plan and implement it) versus reacting (first time hearing about it, emotional, disorganized). His three steps for putting out a fire are practical and sequential:
# Final takeaway Classifying chatter into Noise, Issue, and Crisis gives PR teams a decision rule for when to monitor, engage, or escalate. The priority in any escalation is preserving trust with the people who matter to the organization. As Gilman put it, "A crisis is anything that can damage the trust you have with the people that you care about." Use short decision gates and a three-step response model to act deliberately, not reflexively.
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