Chris, it's true that being more vocal will help most situations like these, but there are some that should be obvious to anyone in the industry. Since probably 90% of all flights go through hubs (and therefore probably have connecting flights) it seems reasonable that the flight crew would EXPECT connection problems. And if you're on the runway for more than 30 minutes, it seems quite reasonable that people want to know what's going on, even if the answer is simply, "we have not been informed why we are being delayed here by the airport." (Of course, the next step is to find out and report the information ASAP.)

These things are simply standard public relations. If you've worked at the front line of retail, you've probably learned these things--frustrated people feel better when you keep them informed and help them to find a solution.

For example, "we are stuck in the airport due to a major storm coming in and will not be flying for 5 hours. Those who want to take a bus to nearby cities can contact us for details."

This solves several problems/questions:
1) why are we stuck here
2) how long are we stuck here (can I take a nap? should I go eat?)
3) is there an alternate way for me to get to my destination?
4) how do I get this alternate information?

Failure for "officials" to act during a crisis creates anxiety.