A masterclass in crisis management

Text: Hillary Tan / Photos: Hillary Tan and Ivan Yap

Laptops being confiscated, 16 executives huddled around one messy whiteboard, a press conference interrupted by an angry, yelling intruder. These were some of the scenes during a recent crisis communication simulation exercise conducted by Senior Lecturer Wong Pei Wen of the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI).

The elaborate exercise, which involved students from the Master of Media and Communication (MMC) programme, included inventing a fictional company and scenario for the participants to experience. As members of local telehealth startup TelFastDoc, 32 students were split into two teams, and each took on roles ranging from Chief Executive Officer to Social Media Manager and Legal Counsel.

Members of the media, played by actual journalists and communication professionals, grilling the student panel at the press conference.

Their crisis scenario involved responding to a breach of customer data, a crash of computer systems for remote monitoring patients and an influencer complaining online about adverse effects to her baby after consulting their service for a home vaccination. The highlight of the day was a mock press conference in the school’s broadcast studio, where participants fielded questions from a group of mock journalists.

What can a crisis communication professional do when an angry "influencer" lashes out straight into the microphones and recorders of eager journalists?

And who better to fill the role of mock journalists than working journalists? Lending their experience on a Sunday afternoon for this exercise were Bryan Wu (WKWSCI/2021) from The Edge, Sharanya Pillai (WKWSCI/2017) from The Business Times, former The Straits Times and Elle Digital Editor Stacey Rodrigues (WKWSCI/2014) and Ulrica Lin (WKWSCI MMC/2022) from CNBC.

“It was nerve-racking initially, but the panel was nothing less than professional and constructive in giving their feedback. The experience was realistic, and it placed just enough pressure on us to feel the heat. Having professionals assess and fire questions at us made the learning as real as it could possibly get,” says master's student Radhika Naidu.

Each team was then judged on their performance in the press conference by a panel of judges, who were also alumni. The judges included award-winning actress and director Joanne Peh (WKWSCI/2006), Joel Lim (ADM and WKWSCI/2018) of the Political Prude podcast, and local health app Speedoc co-founder Serene Cai (WKWSCI/2015).

Actress and NTU alumna Joanne Peh speaking about the importance of conveying empathy during a press conference.

Serene’s experience as a health start-up co-founder came in handy when crafting this scenario for the participants. “I just have so many immense feelings about how alumni can come back and have this collective brain trust where we can contribute to the current students’ learning,” she said, highlighting the importance of sharing knowledge from the working world with current students.

Lights, camera, action! Except this isn't a regular press conference, but one with students in the hot seats and an "influencer" barging in midway through the conference.

The alumni connection added to the experience for master's student Ariel Ee, who was inspired to learn that the industry experts were once students at the same school. “What set them apart was their ability to convey their past experiences through relatable and engaging anecdotes, providing us with a fascinating window into a diverse range of professional journeys,” she says.

"I get final-year project requests, writing to me and asking me if I could be a part of what they do, and I want to be more than just a face for whatever the students are involved in. I think that there can be this exchange of ideas between myself, my experience in the real world, and the new ideas amongst their own community, which is the reason why I have this urge to bring the two things together.” - Joanne Peh, WKWSCI/2006

"A lot of us benefitted from alumni and people who are from the industry who come down to school and teach us not just a theory but also the practical side of things. So I think that if we are able to take some time out of our schedules to show the students, it will really help shape the next generation of practitioners.” - Joel Lim, ADM and WKWSCI/2018

"It’s very clear that it takes a village to build something like this. This is such a fantastic way to be part of that village and make sure that future generations of students are able to benefit from our real-life experiences in the industry as well.” - Serene Cai, WKWSCI/2015

"Don’t dismiss your experience, I think a lot of people tend to be like, ’Oh I’ve only done this small thing so I may not be able to contribute much’, but the truth is everyone has something to contribute, no matter how senior you are or how junior you are.” - Stacey Rodrigues, WKWSCI/2014

"As an undergrad, I actually did go through a crisis simulation exercise. I think just experiencing things firsthand is a great way to learn and the lessons that you learn from that will really stick with you.” - Sharanya Pillai, WKWSCI/2017

"As long as you have something to offer, you should do it (come back to school and pass on your experience).” - Bryan Wu, WKWSCI/2021

 

This article first appeared in issue 4 of U, the NTU alumni magazine.