Silence can be more damaging than a bad statement when it leaves a gap that others fill with worse information, but a careless statement can end a leader's tenure just as fast. The safest course is a short holding statement that says what is known, what is not and when the next update will come. Atlassian's 2022 outage and BP's 2010 oil spill show both failures.
By Ronn Torossian. Last updated: November 22, 2026. Cases are attributed to named sources. This is communications guidance, not legal advice. The decision guide, holding statements and correction note are editorial judgment and hypothetical templates.
What did silence cost Atlassian in 2022?
Silence cost Atlassian time, trust and a public admission that it should have spoken sooner. According to Atlassian's own post-incident review of its April 2022 outage, 775 customers lost access on April 5, and the company's first broad public message went out on April 7, about two days later.
The review named the missing timeline for restoration as a mistake and said that even a directional estimate would have let customers plan around the outage. The company did not cause the harm by saying the wrong thing. It added to the harm by saying nothing for two days.
What did a bad statement cost BP in 2010?
A bad statement cost BP's chief executive his public credibility and, within months, his job. After the Deepwater Horizon explosion on April 20, 2010, Tony Hayward told the Guardian on May 14 that the spill was "relatively tiny" compared with the size of the ocean, according to Time, and on May 30 he told reporters he would like his "life back," as reported by Fortune and Time.
He later apologized on BP America's Facebook page, and BP announced on July 27, 2010 that Bob Dudley would replace him, per the Associated Press. The words were not the only cause, but they became the symbol. A statement that sounds careless can overshadow the response behind it.
How do silence, a bad statement and a holding statement compare?
Silence leaves an information vacuum, a bad statement spreads unverified claims, and a holding statement controls the narrative by stating confirmed facts alongside a scheduled update.
| Approach | What it does | Main risk |
|---|---|---|
| Silence | Says nothing until facts are complete | Others fill the gap; the company looks unprepared |
| Bad statement | Speaks fast, with guesses or tone errors | Words become the story and may be contradicted |
| Holding statement | Says what is known, what is not and when the next update comes | Needs discipline to keep to verified facts |
How do you decide whether to speak?
You decide by asking four questions in order, and any "yes" to the first two means a holding statement now. This guide is editorial judgment and not a legal test.
| Question | If yes | If no |
|---|---|---|
| Are customers, employees or the public affected now? | Issue a holding statement within hours | Go to the next question |
| Is the problem likely to become public without the company saying anything? | Issue a holding statement before it does | Go to the next question |
| Does a legal duty or safety concern restrict what can be said? | Say only what counsel permits, and say you are investigating | Go to the next question |
| Are the facts still unconfirmed? | Say what is known and what is not, and give a time for the next update | Publish a full statement |
Under this guide, no path leads to complete silence for more than a few hours. The Atlassian review reached a similar conclusion about its own two days.
What should a holding statement say?
A holding statement should say that the company is aware of the problem, what it is doing, what it does not yet know and when it will update. It should show care for the people affected before it discusses the company's own position.
Illustrative example: "We are aware that some customers cannot reach our service. Our engineers are working on the cause. We do not yet know how long it will take. We will update this page by 3 p.m." The crisis communication plan template shows how to prepare statements like this in advance, and the guide to the first crisis statement lists the five parts of a first message.
What do holding statements look like for different incidents?
Holding statements follow the same four parts but differ in the facts and the people addressed. The examples below are hypothetical for a fictional company, Northwind Foods, and counsel should review any real wording.
| Incident | Holding statement |
|---|---|
| Service outage | "Some customers cannot sign in. Our engineers are working on the cause. We do not yet know when service will return. We will update this page by 3 p.m." |
| Product concern | "We are aware of reports about one product. We have paused sales while we investigate. We do not yet know the cause. We will update this page by noon tomorrow." |
| Executive allegation | "We are aware of the allegations. The board has asked outside counsel to review them. We will not comment further until the review is complete, and we will update this page when we can." |
When is silence the right choice?
Silence is the right choice only for a short time and for a specific reason: facts are unconfirmed, a legal duty restricts disclosure or a statement would put people at risk. Even then, say that you are investigating and when you will update.
Employees and customers should hear first from the company, not from a reporter. The guide to the first 24 hours of a crisis and the managing negative press guide cover the order of work, and the corporate apology guide covers when an apology belongs in the first message.
How do you recover from a bad statement?
You recover by correcting the statement quickly, plainly and in the same place it was made. The BP case shows the cost of a careless remark, and Hayward's later apology on BP America's Facebook page shows the usual route: acknowledge the words, state what is correct and say what you are doing.
The note below is a hypothetical correction by a fictional company. "Earlier today we said the problem affected a small number of customers. That was wrong. We now know it affected about 4,000 customers, and we are sorry. We will contact each affected customer by tomorrow noon." The note names the error, gives the right figure, apologizes and commits to action.
Frequently asked questions
Is silence better than saying the wrong thing?
Neither silence nor an inaccurate statement is an effective response in a crisis. A short, accurate holding statement with a time for the next update is better than both.
How long can a company stay silent in a crisis?
A company can stay silent for hours, not days. Atlassian's first broad message came about two days after its April 2022 outage, and its own review said it should have communicated earlier.
What is a holding statement?
A holding statement is a short statement issued while facts are still being confirmed. It says what is known, what is not and when the next update will come.
Should a holding statement apologize?
It should express concern for those affected. A full apology for fault should wait for counsel's review of the facts, unless the company already knows it caused the harm.
What if the next update time passes with no news?
Publish a short note that says so and names the next time. A missed update does more harm than a thin one.
Write a holding statement template for your three likeliest crises this week, and get counsel to approve each. The first hour of a real crisis is too late to start.