The fog of war 

CRJ’s Advisory Panel member Amanda Coleman takes a look at the challenges faced by communicators amid the fog, confusion, poor behaviour and obfuscation in 2025 in her latest blog for Under Pressure.


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Communication has been at the forefront of all the tense developments in the past week, and it is challenging to cut through propaganda on all sides. In these situations, we can often feel powerless and voiceless. There is a lot of confusion and deliberate obfuscation.

At the start of 2025, I said that this year would be an enormous test for those in PR and communication roles. It would be a time when our ethics would be put to the test in a way like never before. I feel as if this is where we are now.

Poor approaches and bad behaviour are evident in crisis and emergency responses. This has always been the case; however, after years of talking about the importance of transparency, honesty and ethical behaviour, it is more significant that this is being ignored.

When a crisis hits, the stress levels increase, and those in leadership positions can become heavily focused on certain aspects of the response while ignoring others. I have firsthand witnessed this. This is why communication advisors need to be in the room, as well as having the influence to provide a challenge and an alternative view of events.

If you haven’t watched the documentary on Netflix about Grenfell, I urge you to take the time to do that. There are many unanswered questions and many areas left. It is added to with the recent discussions around the Hillsborough Law or Duty of Candour, which has been criticised by many for being watered down.

So, with all this fog and confusion, poor behaviour and obfuscation, what can we do? If you are a communication professional, ensure that you know, own and have updated any crisis communication plans. Also, make sure that you are recognised as a strategic advisor and ensure that you have the skills and knowledge to be able to challenge approaches in the heat of the crisis.

If you are a responder or involved in managing crises, take a moment to consider whether you are considering different views. Are you open to different perspectives, and will you be able to understand what people need?

These are definitely challenging times, and finding the right way forward is important for us all.

Read the original article here.