Risk Management & Mitigation Flashcards
7 cards from real APR practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Risk Management & Mitigation flashcards as text
Which framework is most commonly referenced in PR risk management for categorizing risks by likelihood and impact?
Answer: Risk probability-impact matrix
A risk probability-impact matrix maps risks by how likely they are to occur against how severely they would affect the organization.
A company's executive is arrested and media calls flood in simultaneously. The FIRST step for the PR team should be:
Answer: Activate the crisis communication plan
Activating the pre-established crisis communication plan ensures a coordinated, consistent response rather than ad-hoc reactions.
In risk communication, the term 'outrage factor' refers to:
Answer: Public anger amplified by perceived unfairness or dread beyond actual hazard level
Peter Sandman's outrage factor explains why public perception of risk often exceeds technical hazard because emotional factors like fairness and dread amplify concern.
Which action best demonstrates 'risk transfer' as a mitigation strategy in a PR context?
Answer: Purchasing crisis management liability insurance
Risk transfer shifts financial exposure of a risk event to a third party, commonly achieved through insurance products.
A pharmaceutical company faces a product recall. Which message element is most critical to include in the first public statement?
Answer: Clear instructions on what consumers should do next
Actionable guidance protects public safety and demonstrates accountability, which are the two highest priorities in a product recall communication.
Environmental scanning in risk management primarily serves to:
Answer: Identify emerging issues before they escalate into crises
Environmental scanning monitors external trends, stakeholder sentiment, and emerging signals so risks can be addressed in the issue stage rather than the crisis stage.
When a PR practitioner uses 'bridging' during a hostile media interview related to a risk event, they are:
Answer: Acknowledging a question then redirecting to a key message
Bridging is a media training technique where the spokesperson validates the reporter's question and then pivots to the organization's prepared key messages.