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Free course template · Global

PR crisis communications: Planning, media readiness and ethical practice

A ready-made course, live deck and two surveys for PR and communications professionals. AhaSlides tracks progress, completion and scores for you. 40 minutes, 6 lessons. Last reviewed 21 October 2026; not legal advice.

By Cheryl Duong

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PR crisis communications: Planning, media readiness and ethical practice: try 3 questions

Three questions from this course. Pick an answer, then see why.

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Three pieces that work together

Learners prepare on their own, you answer questions live, and the surveys tell you what stuck. 10 fields to fill in with your own policy, contacts and locations; each one is highlighted inside the course.

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The PR crisis communications: Planning, media readiness and ethical practice course as a learner first sees it

Completion is tracked for you

Learners sign in to take the course, so every start, finish and score is recorded in AhaSlides. No spreadsheet to keep.

  • Who has finished

    See who has not started, who is in progress and who has completed the course.

  • Every score

    Each learner's answers to the quizzes and activities in the course.

  • What landed

    Survey results show what people took away, and the 30-day check-in shows whether they use it.

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6 lessons, about 40 minutes

What learners can do at the end of each lesson. Minutes are an estimate.

  • Lesson 1: Why the first hour decides the story · 7 min

    Before you begin · A Friday afternoon · What would you do first?

  • Lesson 2: Planning: risks, roles and escalation · 7 min

    What a plan holds · Incident, issue or crisis · Check

  • Lesson 3: Stakeholders and messages under pressure · 7 min

    Who needs to know · First-hour order · The three-part message

  • Lesson 4: Media relations and interview readiness · 7 min

    The basics · The difficult question · Practice

  • Lesson 5: Ethics and the grey areas · 7 min

    Principles from the codes · Where would you draw the line? · Check

  • Lesson 6: Simulate, measure and learn · 5 min

    Your next steps · Practice

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Often taught together

Courses teams often run alongside this one.

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Common questions

Yes. The course, the live deck and both surveys are free. Claiming the template into your AhaSlides account is free too.

Yes. The course is self-paced and online, and the live deck lets you add a live session in the room or online.

At onboarding for comms staff, annually before the crisis plan is reviewed, and after any incident or near miss.

PR and communications professionals, including in-house comms managers and agency account teams.

Record completion in your own LMS or record system, so you can show who finished the course and when.

Yes, everything. Change the wording, swap scenarios for ones from your workplace, add your logo, or remove parts that don't apply.

Your own details, each highlighted inside the course:
  • Help contact
  • Policy link
  • Escalation route
  • The organisation's crisis communications plan
  • Next course link
  • LMS or record system
  • Course URL
  • Live session URL
Then edit anything else you like: wording, scenarios, your logo.
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Free. Copy the course, live deck and both surveys into your AhaSlides account in one click.

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