This story about racial tensions in Jena, Louisiana, as told by National Public Radio, illustrates three critical public relations points when tensions are high.

• Saying “no comment,” apparently en masse, is a choice way to ensure others will frame the story in place of your silence. Chances are also high their version of events will be one-sided.
• Dodging the press helps to ensure that the story will develop legs. In this case the story broke locally, then regionally and now nationally.

• Denying the dynamic at hand—that Jena is a community defined by racial tension and violence—helps the issues both percolate and escalate. In contrast, naming the dynamic helps to heal. When only one side sees the issue for what it is, there will be no resounding reconciliation.

There’s more to be said that, strategically, each of the above may legitimate approaches (e.g., not commenting to the press for certain legal reasons may prove beneficial in the long term when the choice is between a poor reputation or jail time).

The appearance, though, is that these general crisis communications creeds needlessly hold true for Jena.