The Biggest PR Crises of 2024

A crisis is anything that takes you off purpose and off mission.

Anything that distracts from your ability to fulfill your mission is a crisis. And in 2024 there were plenty of them. I want to highlight a few and then offer recommendations on how you can protect yourself.

Robert Morris and Gateway Church

Gateway Church was one of the largest congregations in the nation. Their empire came crumbling down after revelations that its former pastor Robert Morris allegedly groomed and abused a child. When he was confronted about the allegations he characterized the situation as ‘an inappropriate relationship with a young lady.’ He initially failed to disclose he abused a child. Some leaders and congregants were unaware of the severity of the situation until the victim – Cindy Clemishire – came forward.

As of October, the church lost 20,000 worshippers. It all began in June 2024 when Clemishire shared her story with a publication which helped publicize Clemishire’s horrific ordeal. Clemishire wanted assistance with therapy bills and allegedly attempted to contact Morris and Gateway only to be rebuffed she says. Since June 2024 when more people became aware of her ordeal, the church has faced backlash, ridicule and even allegation of financial impropriety.  A number of elders, including Morris’ son stepped down from ministry at Gateway. The church is also facing a lawsuit of misappropriation of tithes.

Morris has not been the only pastor, and certainly not the only pastor in North Texas, to be removed over sexual sin or some other form of abuse of power or misbehavior. Tony Evans also stepped down over an undisclosed sin. At least 8 other pastors have resigned or been fired this year alone.  

Sean Diddy Combs.

Combs is facing 24 separate civil lawsuits alleging abuse, sexual assault and more. His house of cards came tumbling down with a bombshell lawsuit by Cassie Ventura on November 16, 2023. Combs and his legal team settled the case the very next day. However, the fallout was just beginning. Several other women accused him of abuse later that month.

Additionally, several months later (in February 2024), a former producer for Diddy’s Love album – Rodney Lil Rod Jones – filed a blistering lawsuit accusing him of drug abuse, sex trafficking, and recording celebrities and others without their permission. Certainly, there have been allegations against Combs for years (for allegations that he didn’t pay his artists fairly, among other things), but the pace of his current woes is truly breathtaking.

For many people, the question becomes, who were the people who allowed his behavior to continue for so long. But also, what does a case like this do to trauma survivors. For persons who allege to have been victimized by him to persons who are victims of sexual trauma, cases like this are triggering and deeply painful. This case offers a reminder that association matters, character matters, and justice matters. Its also a reminder that no one is big enough to evade accountability. All of us must be responsible for what we do and don’t do.

Boeing

The start of 2024 for Boeing was anything but routine. A door for one of its 737 MAX planes blew off mid-flight. The incident occurred shortly after takeoff from Alaska, and left multiple passengers injured. It also set off a cascade of concerns about the company. Just 30 days later, pilots reported flight control issues on another 737 MAX, and yet another flight lost a wheel during takeoff.

Boeing was slow to respond, and this exacerbated the situation. In times of crisis, the public expects clear communication and accountability. The public wants to know what happened, why, and how it would be avoided. They also want to know who will be held accountable and how. Some felt that Boeing failed to offer clear explanations or reassurances. While CEO Dave Calhoun will step down at the end of the year, the crisis has not abated.

Boeing sent two astronauts (Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams ) into space on one of its own rockets. Unfortunately, Boeing now has no way to bring those astronauts back to Earth…until at least February!  The mission was only supposed to be 10 days. NASA selected Elon Musk’s SpaceX do the job. Imagine failing miserably and watching your competitor come to the rescue. Painful, right.

American Airlines

American Airlines faced scrutiny earlier this year after several of its employees removed 8 Black men from a flight from Phoenix, Arizona to New York City. The men did not know each other; their only commonality was their race. The men were removed after another passenger complained, though its unclear who he was complaining about. Several American Airlines employees were put on leave for their involvement in an incident.

Three of the eight men removed sued the airline for racial discrimination. This is a classic example of how employees of a company can adversely impact the company’s reputation and brand.

Conclusion

Most of these situations were bigger than PR crises. They threaten the reputation and legacy of major leaders and companies. They can also undermine donor and investor support. This happens due to eroding public trust. In some cases, such as that of Sean Diddy Combs, the PR crises escalated into criminal charges.

Its important to note that anyone has the capacity to make a mistake. You don’t have to have millions sitting in the bank or a big name to get it wrong. Anyone has the capacity to experience a crisis. But prevention is key. One of the ways to prevent a crisis is to be clear about your and your organization’s north star. Who are you and why do you exist. What are you willing and unwilling to do to promote your company, brand or product. Who will you associate with and who will you avoid?

Now, you may not be involved in a crisis of the magnitude that I’ve just described but that doesn’t mean what you are facing isn’t significant in your own right. The question becomes, what are you doing about it and who is assisting you. One of the challenges that leaders make is waiting too long to bring in expert help.

If you are navigating a public relations crisis, and need help, visit www.spotlightpr.org to schedule a paid consultation. We hold your confidence and walk with you to safeguard your current and future self.

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Jennifer R. Farmer is the principal of Spotlight PR LLC. Check out her other writings on our blog, The Pitch.