Answer:
See explaination
Step-by-step explanation:
Being the PR officer of a major MNE in the chemical industry, the allegations brought to my company regarding hiding a chemical disaster by a subsidiary company of mine would actually have serious issues not only with my company's further operation but also on the company's reputation. So since as a PR officer I am highly liable to uphold a positive image of my company to the audience, I would consider taking serious corrective steps to handle the situation:
My first approach would be to handle the situation with a calm head and initiating a conversation with the press. In such a situation reacting aggressively to such press releases would create more mess and turn into another highlighting press news for the company costing towards its negative reputation building. So, first I would ask for proof of their statements with sufficient data supporting it. I along with an expert team with re-verify the data and try finding out any loopholes in the communication. While this is in progress since the matter escalated through press communication to the public I would also take the help of media to turn the picture. Since my company has successfully built a good reputation among the public through years of good and honest work, I would come up with the media asking people whether they believe that this company could actually have done this. This would not only give the public a sense of belongingness to the company but also drive emotional goodwill for the company.