“This is Radio Crosetto”: one-to-many communication and lessons for crisis management
- Patrick Trancu
- Mar 18
- 2 min read
“Beep beep, this is Radio Crosetto!”. The expression, reported today by journalist Tommaso Labate in the Corriere della Sera, Italy's national daily newspaper, describes an episode that goes well beyond political news. It is, in fact, an interesting — and in some ways paradigmatic — case of how one of the core principles of crisis communication is applied in practice. Guido Crosetto is Italy's Defence Minister and he has started broadcasting updates on the Persian Gulf war to key stakeholders.
Speed, disintermediation, simultaneity
According to reports, Italy’s Minister of Defence Guido Crosetto has been using a “one-to-many” communication system to send confidential updates on the situation in the Persian Gulf to opposition leaders.
Beyond the political dimension, this approach reflects three fundamental elements of crisis communication:
Speed: information is delivered without delay
Factuality: updates are concise and fact-based
Disintermediation: direct access to stakeholders, without filters
In highly volatile contexts, these three factors often determine whether an organization maintains narrative control or loses trust.
A critical weakness: lack of stakeholder onboarding
The case also highlights a critical weakness. One of the recipients, Green Party leader Angelo Bonelli, read one of the messages live on television, apparently without realizing its confidential nature. This incident underscores a frequently overlooked point:
even the most effective communication system fails if stakeholders are not prepared to receive it.
Without prior alignment — on purpose, format, and level of confidentiality — a strategic tool can quickly become a source of risk.
Il riconoscimento del valore istituzionale
Despite the incident, the value of the approach has been clearly acknowledged. As Carlo Calenda, leader of the opposition party Azione noted:
An attention that cannot be taken for granted and that moves in the direction of the much-needed institutional collaboration in a dramatic moment.
This is the key takeaway: crisis communication is not only about information — it is also about building trust and enabling coordination among actors.
Lessons for companies
What we observe in the institutional sphere is fully transferable to the corporate world. An effective “one-to-many” communication system in crisis requires:
Preparation in "peacetime": defining processes, tools, and responsibilities before a crisis occurs
Multi-channel, multi-stakeholder architecture: The ability to reach different audiences simultaneously (internal and external).
Trained teams: Structures capable of managing real-time information flows while maintaining consistency and control.
Stakeholder onboarding: clear, upfront communication on how the system works, what to expect, and how to behave.
One final point: data security
Finally, a critical consideration. The adoption of direct communication systems involving sensitive information requires a rigorous approach to cybersecurity and data sovereignty. Using inadequately secured platforms can turn an operational advantage into a critical vulnerability.
Conclusion
The “Radio Crosetto” case shows how crisis communication is evolving toward models that are increasingly direct, fast, and multistakeholder. This direction is not only inevitable — it is necessary.
Provided it is supported by:
strategic design,
operational discipline,
and full awareness of the associated risks.
