Communications

How Public Narratives Form and How Organizations Lose Control

Examines how narratives develop when information is incomplete and how agencies can manage media cycles, speculation, and external influence.

Course Details

Course Overview

Practical Context Before the Next Decision.

When information is incomplete, other voices fill the gap. This course examines how public narratives take shape across traditional media, social platforms, community networks, employee communication, and political environments. Leaders learn to identify the moments when an organization is losing control of its own story and how inconsistent, delayed, or overly defensive messaging makes recovery harder. The discussion focuses on coordination, credibility, audience, timing, and a repeatable approach to communicating facts without feeding speculation or overpromising certainty.

Designed ForPublic safety & municipal leaders
Format1 day
Course AreaCommunications

Course Focus

How narratives form across channelsInformation gaps, speculation, and external influenceCoordination and message consistencyRegaining credibility without becoming defensive

Instruction

Meet the Practitioners Leading This Course.

Course leadership is matched to the subject and grounded in direct professional experience.

Matt Petrillo headshot
Instructor of Crisis and Strategic Communications

Matt Petrillo

Matt Petrillo is Director of Communications for Temple University's Department of Public Safety. He previously spent more than a decade in television journalism, including reporting for CBS News Philadelphia on breaking news, crime, public safety, and major incidents. That combination gives him firsthand knowledge of how information is gathered, framed, and distributed under pressure. Matt's instruction focuses on message discipline, media relations, internal coordination, strategic storytelling, and the choices that shape trust before, during, and after a crisis. He helps leaders understand what to say, when to say it, and how communication decisions affect operations and credibility.

Crisis Messaging, Media Relations, Public Narratives, and Organizational Credibility