Crisis miscommunication and media persecution: The case of the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit

Abstract

When the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) train services were disrupted on 15 December 2011, poor communication, lack of timely support and the subsequent disclosure of ill-preparedness for the crisis caused anger and resentment among commuters, especially since there had been an increase in taxi fares prior to the incident, causing greater dependence on train services. Even before an official press statement was released by the organisation, social networking and blog sites were abuzz with stories of SMRT’s handling of the crisis. Despite SMRT’s track record of financial success and its strong support from the Land and Transport Authority (LTA), good media reporting is not beholden to corporations or governments, capturing breaking stories as they happen. These stories reflect the negative reactions of the people, the SMRT’s unsatisfactory management responses and the voices of dissent from a disgruntled public. This paper analyses several media reports in the mainstream English newspapers as well as from Internet sources that impact on SMRT’s reputation between the period of December 2011 and August 2012. It discusses the organisation’s responses and public reactions, focusing on SMRT’s strategies in handling the crisis. Businesses and organisations have much to learn about managing relations with the public and the media to salvage reputation in a crisis.