Crisis feeling is a different dimension of communication than crisis color.  Crisis color relates to the mood or tone when responding to crisis.  Crisis feeling relates to the messages we receive.  Each message has both a content and feeling associated with it.  The message has an objective or factual meaning, while the individual has specific feelings about those facts.  In addition to understanding the fact or objective reality, crisis communication directs us to recognize and understand the feeling as well.  The process of understanding and responding to the feeling and content of the message is message clarification.  In the course of crisis communication, it is necessary to understand and clarify both the content and feeling of the messages from individuals in crisis.  When we are able to do this in an effective way, we are reaching a point of honest, informed empathy with the individual.  This level of empathy lets him know that we hear him, we understand, and we care.

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