Ronn Torossian's Harvard Business School Crisis Lecture

Ronn Torossian, founder and chairman of 5W AI Communications, lectured Harvard Business School students on crisis communications on March 12, 2019. The session covered crisis communications lessons, strategies and best practices, and it included questions from HBS students. The recordings of the lecture and related clips are below.

Last updated: October 26, 2026

What did Ronn Torossian cover in the Harvard Business School lecture?

Ronn Torossian covered crisis communications lessons, strategies and best practices in his March 12, 2019 lecture to Harvard Business School students, then answered questions from the students.

Full lecture, 21 minutes 40 seconds. Watch on YouTube

Why do timing and speed matter in crisis PR?

Ronn Torossian told Harvard Business School students that timing and speed matter in public relations, and that crisis PR is important to running a business.

Clip, 54 seconds. Watch on YouTube

What does the United Airlines case show about crisis PR?

The United Airlines case, discussed in Ronn Torossian's Harvard Business School session, looks at the variety of crisis PR situations the airline has faced.

Clip, 1 minute 2 seconds. Watch on YouTube

A 34 second excerpt from the same discussion is also available.

Excerpt, 34 seconds. Watch on YouTube

For dated facts on the April 2017 passenger removal and the three statements United issued, see the 12 PR crisis examples page. That page's analysis is that the first statement sets the story, so a company should acknowledge the harm before it explains policy.

Who is Ronn Torossian?

Ronn Torossian is the founder and chairman of 5W AI Communications (5wpr.com) and the author of For Immediate Release. His Ronn Torossian biography covers his background, and his book sets out his public relations rules. His other talks are listed on the speaking page, and his television interviews are on the media appearances page.