Message Strategies: Responding to Rumors and Public Criticism [LO-7]

You work for a local public administrative body, and a local theater owned by it has been closed for many months because of a fire in an adjoining building. Although the theater was insured against damage by fire, only a small part of the top floor of the building was damaged significantly. There is a long-running dispute with the insurance company, which will only pay for the repairs on the upper floor, but the whole building needs refurbishing because of the smell from the fire combined with wear and tear due to age. The building has been left unheated, and two expensive grand pianos left inside have been irreparably damaged by damp over the winter. The local newspaper is criticizing the administrative body for taking too long to resolve the issue, making it more expensive now, and local activists are critical on Facebook.

Your task: Write the first public statement for the press and social media regarding the issue to respond effectively to criticisms.