Between presidential executive orders, natural and man-made disasters, and global crises, the
barrage of news in the first weeks of 2025 has rekindled a tough question for many organizations: Should we weigh in on these events — or stay silent?
Higher education has been confronting this question over the past 18 months, and there is also
a robust discussion underway about whether “Corporate Leaders Need to Keep Their Mouths
Shut.”
Discussions about responding to the issue of the day should begin long before the issue ever
erupts and should be grounded in a set of questions you can ask yourself. They start by
recognizing whether a public statement would be true to your mission and something you
could say naturally and authentically.
If you find yourself saying, “What’s our take on this news, and what words do we use?” there’s a
good chance you’d be talking just for the sake of talking. But if your views are immediately clear
and your proposed language aligns with your mission statement and prior communications, you
should then ask these five questions:
- Does the issue affect your organization and community in unique ways beyond its general societal impact?
- Will your statement add a distinct perspective that is not already part of the discussion?
- Do your stakeholders have broad consensus on the issue, and if not, will your words alienate well-intentioned community members on either side?
- Will peer organizations be weighing in, and if so, would your silence come off as indifference?
- Are you setting a precedent to weigh in on similar issues in the future, where there may not be a broad consensus?
The bar is high, and two times out of three, you’ll probably decide not to weigh in. But when
you do, you’ll be doing so from an informed position, armed with words and ideas that matter.
At BandOne, we work with organizations every day to think through these challenges. We help clients craft a consistent, value-aligned message; develop a communications strategy that defines goals, roles, and processes; and be crisis-resilient as they speak with one clear voice — on days when the news is busy and days when it’s quiet.