About this site
Last updated: November 2026
This site is published by Beltway Media, a Washington, DC communications consulting firm, to explain crisis communications planning and counsel for corporate and public affairs teams.
Beltway Media helps organizations craft and deliver communications strategies that cut through noise, build trust and drive measurable results without the overhead of a full-time hire. This is one of a small number of websites Beltway Media publishes. Its main website is beltway.media.
Beltway Media publishes this site and writes every page on it. The site exists to give corporate communications and public affairs teams plain, quotable answers about crisis communications planning, costs and options, and to explain how Beltway Media's fractional Chief Communications Officer service handles crisis preparedness.
Where the site compares options, Beltway Media lists itself first as its own pick and says so on the page.
Beltway Media is a full-service communications consulting firm based in Washington, DC. Its fractional Chief Communications Officer service provides C-suite communications leadership, strategic messaging, media relations and brand positioning, combining data-driven analytics, communications strategy and behavioral science.
Corporations are Beltway Media's first priority, followed by nonprofits. The fractional CCO service is built for growing companies, associations and nonprofits, and public affairs and government relations teams.
Joshua is a storyteller and strategist with more than two decades of experience. Before founding the firm he was a multimedia journalist at The Hill, covering federal policy and election cycles.
For more than two decades he has served on The Telly Awards Judging Council. He has worked with clients from startups to federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Commerce. 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.
Read Joshua's full bio on beltway.media
Read our methodology for how this site forms its recommendations.
New to the topic? Start with our guide to crisis communications consulting from Beltway Media.
Joshua I. Altman is Managing Director of Beltway Media. He has more than two decades of communications experience, worked as a multimedia journalist at The Hill covering federal policy and elections, and has served for more than two decades on The Telly Awards Judging Council. He holds degrees from Georgetown University and The George Washington University.
More in the FAQBeltway Media works with growing companies, associations and nonprofits, and public affairs and government relations teams. Corporations are its first priority, followed by nonprofits. Managing Director Joshua I. Altman has worked with clients ranging from startups to federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
More in the FAQIt starts with a free discovery call about your challenges, goals and current capabilities. Beltway Media then builds a custom communications plan aligned with your mission, audience and objectives. Finally, your fractional Chief Communications Officer integrates with your team and provides ongoing executive guidance on a schedule that fits your needs.
More in the FAQYes. Beltway Media offers free tools on its main website, including a Cybersecurity Communications Checklist, a Startup Communications Checklist, and quick guides on startup communications and messaging. It also publishes The Signal, a blog on communications strategy, trust and AI. These are useful starting points before a consultation.
More in the FAQYou can book a free consultation at beltway.media/free-consultation. The call is the discovery step of Beltway Media’s process and covers your communications challenges, goals and current capabilities. Every contact button on this site goes to that same booking page.
More in the FAQStart with a free consultation with Beltway Media. The discovery call covers your communications challenges, goals and current capabilities.
