Under Fire: 13 Rules for Surviving Cancel Culture and Other Crises

by Wesley Donehue

At some point, whether you’re ready or not, a reputational crisis will strike. It will threaten every aspect of your business and seep into parts of your personal life. It’s not a question of if a crisis will hit but when. When it does, there’s no time to stop and strategize.

What’s your plan for survival?

Communication strategist Wesley Donehue has managed some of the biggest political and corporate scandals in recent decades. One of the first strategists to successfully navigate crises in the digital world, Wesley has discovered thirteen rules for managing every communications crisis. In Under Fire , he shares these rules and provides an inside look at the scandals that helped him define a proven system for weathering every type of storm. You need a crisis communications strategy now, before you actually have to use it. No matter the industry you’re in or the type of business you run, Under Fire is the framework that will enable you to be nimble, aware, and prepared for anything that comes your way.

Genres: Nonfiction

242 pages, Paperback

Published July 6, 2022

About the author

I am a political consultant, digital marketer, investor, and host of Under Fire, my podcast about crisis, cancel culture, and brand reputation.

A trusted advisor, I help corporations navigate potentially disastrous situations. I operate the brand reputation and crisis communication firm Laurens Group and am the founder of Push Digital, the nation’s winning Republican digital agency. I work with political committees and issue advocacy groups as one of the country’s preeminent digital strategists, serving politicians including Senator Lindsey Graham, Senator Marco Rubio, and Congressman Trey Gowdy.

I live in South Carolina with my wife, Elizabeth, and our three sons.

Reviews

[Dolores · Rating 3 out of 5]

BX Link: http://bookcrossing.com/journal/16808...
Genre: Nonfiction
Where: USA
When: current

THEME(S):

THOUGHTS/REFLECTIONS: I wasn’t sure this one wouldn’t turn me off politically. Until I read the author’s dedication. From that moment on, while I suspected I wouldn’t agree with everything he had to say, I was willing to listen… I don’t know that I’ll ever be a target of cancel culture, but if I am, I’m now prepared.

QUOTES:

“This book is dedicated to PETA, because the only thing better than the taste of bacon is the joy of kicking your ass.”

“Just because a discussion doesn’t enter your area of the internet doesn’t mean it’s not happening. And if you’re not aware, it can blow up in your face.”

[Kathryn Cameron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mainly for business owners

I won a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.

I don’t feel as if the strategies outlined in the book would really be applicable for me at this point in my life. It felt like it was geared more towards medium to large business owners that are more involved in the public.

[EMMA · Rating 5 out of 5]

What stayed with me most after reading *Under Fire* is Wesley Donehue’s insistence that the most important decisions in a crisis are often made before the crisis ever happens. The book repeatedly challenges the assumption that reputational disasters can be handled through improvisation, arguing instead that preparation is what separates organizations that recover from those that spiral further into trouble.

What makes the book particularly engaging is the combination of real world case studies and a structured framework built around thirteen rules. Rather than discussing crisis communication in abstract terms, Donehue draws on political and corporate scandals to show how reputational threats unfold in practice. A recurring theme throughout the book is speed versus strategy. Leaders are often pressured to react immediately, yet the book demonstrates why preparation and disciplined decision making are essential when events begin moving quickly. The lessons feel grounded in experience rather than theory.

This book will resonate with business leaders, entrepreneurs, public figures, communications professionals, and anyone responsible for protecting public trust. By the end, the strongest takeaway is that crisis management begins long before a crisis appears.

[Kathleen O'Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, fast read although I got the sense at times that the author may have exaggerated the success of some of his strategies in practice. But the book’s focus on embracing mental toughness and recognizing the ubiquity of cancel culture madness struck me as refreshing messages and the book offers some solid advice.