Last updated: November 2026Published by Beltway Media
Washington, D.C. crisis communications
Crisis communications consulting for corporations and nonprofits
Crisis communications consulting is senior outside help deciding what your organization says, who says it and how fast, before and during a crisis.
Beltway Media is a Washington, D.C. communications consulting firm that helps corporations first, and nonprofits second, prepare for moments that test public trust. Its crisis communications consulting runs through preparedness planning, strategic messaging, media relations and spokesperson development, led by a fractional Chief Communications Officer without the overhead of a full-time hire.
What does crisis communications consulting include?
At Beltway Media, crisis communications consulting includes five kinds of work. Most of it happens before anything goes wrong, so that when pressure arrives your team already knows who speaks, who approves and what the first statement says.
- Crisis preparedness planning, including scenarios, approval paths and holding statements
- Mission-aligned, executive-level messaging and brand strategy
- Proactive media relations and public affairs counsel
- Investor, stakeholder and internal communications
- Media training and spokesperson development
Crisis communications consulting, in plain terms
Each card below stands on its own, so you can read only the one that answers your question.
Definition: crisis communications consulting
Crisis communications consulting is the planning and delivery of what an organization tells its stakeholders when an event threatens trust: a data breach, a leadership controversy, a product failure or public criticism. Beltway Media defines the job as owning the narrative. That means aligning what the organization says with what it actually does under pressure, keeping messages consistent across employees, customers, investors, donors and media, and preparing spokespeople before they are needed.
It is different from crisis management, which fixes the underlying problem. Communications explains the response, and both have to move together.
The numbers, as of November 2026
- More than two decades of experience for Beltway Media Managing Director Joshua I. Altman, a former multimedia journalist at The Hill.
- 3 steps in every Beltway Media engagement: discovery call, custom strategy, ongoing leadership.
- 5 service areasin Beltway Media's fractional CCO service, including crisis preparedness planning.
- 30 minutes:“A crisis holding statement is a pre-approved response deployed within 30 minutes of a crisis event,” according to Shadow's crisis plan guide.
- $2,000 to $15,000 a month:Everything-PR's estimate for crisis readiness retainers, with active response at $15,000 to $250,000+ (Everything-PR). These are market figures, not Beltway Media prices.
Choosing a crisis communications firm
A crisis communications firm is only as useful as the person who picks up the phone when something goes wrong. Before you sign anything, ask who will actually lead the work, whether the firm helps you prepare or only responds, how it trains spokespeople and how it prices scope.
Beltway Media is a crisis communications firm in DC, in the sense that matters for most organizations: its crisis work is led by senior communications leadership and connected to your everyday strategy. It is not a global network with offices in many countries, and if you need that, you should weigh a global crisis communications firm too. Our guide to choosing a crisis communications firm lays out the questions to ask every firm.
| Model | Who leads | Preparation before a crisis | Ongoing involvement | Cost information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fractional CCO (Beltway Media) | A senior chief communications officer working part time | Built in: Beltway Media lists crisis preparedness planning and spokesperson development | Integrates with your team on a schedule that fits your needs | Not published; scoped after a free consultation |
| Crisis PR agency on retainer | Varies by agency; ask who leads day to day | Often offered as a readiness retainer | Usually scales up during an incident | Everything-PR estimates readiness retainers at $2,000 to $15,000 a month |
| Full-time communications executive | An in-house executive | Depends on the hire and their workload | Daily and in-house | A full executive salary and benefits, which varies by market |
| Handling it internally without a plan | Whoever is available | None until something happens | Reactive | Staff time, with no outside fees |
How does Beltway Media work with clients?
Beltway Media works in three steps. The first is free, so you can judge fit before you commit to anything.
Discovery call
A free consultation to understand your communications challenges, goals and current capabilities.
Custom strategy
A tailored communications plan aligned with your mission, audience and business objectives, including crisis preparedness.
Ongoing leadership
Your fractional Chief Communications Officer integrates with your team and provides consistent executive-level guidance.
Who is Beltway Media's crisis work for?
Corporations come first, then nonprofits. Beltway Media's clients range from scrappy startups to federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Commerce.
- CorporationsFirst priority. Growing companies that have outgrown DIY communications and need senior help with investors, employees, customers and press.Read more
- Nonprofits and associationsMission-driven organizations that need strategic guidance to reach boards, donors, members and the public, especially under pressure.Read more
- Public affairs and government relations teamsTeams working in complex stakeholder environments that need experienced communications leadership on call.Read more
Who leads the work?
Managing Director Joshua I. Altman leads Beltway Media. Before founding the firm, he was a multimedia journalist at The Hill, covering federal policy including energy and the environment, tax and finance, healthcare, immigration, defense and criminal justice, and reporting on election cycles from the front lines.
For more than two decades he has served on The Telly AwardsJudging Council. He holds an M.A. in Communication, Culture and Technology from Georgetown University and a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University. Having worked on the reporter's side of a story is useful when preparing a spokesperson for hard questions.
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask most. See all 47 answers on the crisis communications FAQ.
What is crisis communications consulting?
Crisis communications consulting is outside expert help planning, writing and delivering what an organization says before, during and after an event that threatens its reputation. Beltway Media, a Washington, D.C. communications consulting firm, approaches it through crisis preparedness planning, strategic messaging, media relations and spokesperson development, usually as part of its fractional Chief Communications Officer service.
What does a crisis communications firm do?
A crisis communications firm helps an organization decide what to say, who says it and when, so stakeholders get accurate, consistent information under pressure. Typical work includes preparedness plans, pre-approved holding statements, spokesperson training, media relations and internal updates. At Beltway Media, that work is tied to the organization's broader communications strategy rather than treated as a one-off.
How much does crisis communications consulting cost?
Costs vary widely by scope and urgency. Everything-PR estimates crisis readiness retainers at $2,000 to $15,000 a month and active response at $15,000 to $250,000+. Those are market estimates, not Beltway Media's prices. Beltway Media does not publish pricing, so a free strategy session is the way to get a quote for your situation.
Is Beltway Media a crisis communications firm in DC?
Beltway Media is a communications consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. Its managing director, Joshua I. Altman, covered federal policy as a multimedia journalist at The Hill before founding the firm. Crisis preparedness planning, media relations and spokesperson development are part of its services for corporations and nonprofits.
Should I hire a crisis PR agency or a fractional CCO?
It depends on the need. A fractional CCO, like Beltway Media's service, fits organizations that want ongoing senior leadership, preparedness and consistent messaging. A larger crisis agency can fit a fast-moving incident that needs a big team across many markets at once. Many organizations benefit from preparing first, so any later response starts from a plan.
What is a fractional chief communications officer?
A fractional chief communications officer is a senior communications executive who leads an organization's communications part time or on a flexible schedule. Beltway Media's fractional CCO provides C-suite communications leadership, strategic messaging, media relations and brand positioning, without the full-time executive price tag.
How we chose
Beltway Media wrote this comparison and publishes this site, and its own service appears in it. Every option was judged on the same criteria, using the same kinds of facts, and none of it is an independent review or audit. The criteria were:
- Who leads the work and at what level of seniority
- Whether preparation happens before a crisis
- How involved the model stays over time
- What cost information is publicly available, with market figures attributed to their source
Read the full methodology behind this site.