No company, organization, or individual whose livelihood depends on public reaction can afford to function without a crisis communications plan. This student workbook reviews the critical terminologies, processes, and skills needed for understanding and responding to crises. It prepares individuals for responding to crises in a variety of contexts, and reinforces strategies and tactics to be used during a crisis. Chapters include instructive case studies of public relations professionals in crises: what they did, what they wished they had done, and what hampered their progress. The exercises provide students with the opportunity to respond to real-world crises, sharpening their own skills and practicing response behaviors. This workbook will serve as a useful tool for all future practitioners.
Kathleen Fearn-Banks is a professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington (Seattle) and a crisis communications advisor.
Table of Contents1 Crisis Communications Today What is a Crisis and What is Crisis Communications?The Five Stages of a Crisis Public Opinion Mini-Case: White Star Line’s Titanic Sinks 2 Crisis Communications Theory Apologia Theory Image Restoration TheoryDecision Theory Diffusion TheoryExcellence Theory The Five W’s of Public Apology –Businesses and Celebrities3 Communications to Prevent Crises The News Media Internal Publics Customers/Consumers Preventing Multicultural Crises4 Communications When the Crisis Strikes Communicating with the News Media 34Communicating with Lawyers 44Communicating with Internal Publics 47Communicating with External Publics 49Communicating Directly with the Masses 505 Social Media and Crisis CommunicationsSocial Media in Strategic Organizational CommunicationMini-Case Studies in Social Media CrisesSocial Media Etiquette for Organizations and Individuals to Prevent CrisesOnline Communities and Crisis Communities6 "Textbook" Crises Case: Johnson & Johnson and the Tylenol Murders Case: Exxon and the Valdez Oil Spill 7 Culture Crises --DomesticCase: Saginaw Valley State University and the Theater Controversy Case: Texas A&M University and the Bonfire Tragedy Case: Police Departments and Community Trust8 Culture Crises: Foreign and International Case: AIDS in Africa Case: Ebola Strikes Liberia: Firestone Strikes EbolaCase: Nut Rage and Korean Airlines 9 Environmental Crisis Case: Häagen-Dazs and Honey Bees 10 Natural Disasters Case: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans Case: The Oso Mudslide in Washington11 Transportation Crises Case: Holland America Line and Cruise Crises Case: US Airways and the Emergency Landing in the Hudson 12 Product Failure and Product Tampering Case: Yuhan-Kimberly and Baby Wet Wipes Case: Maple Leaf Foods and the Battle against Listeria Case: Wendy’s and the Finger-in-the-Chili Hoax Mini-Case: Domino’s Pizza 13 Death and Injury Case: Columbine High School and the Shooting Tragedy Case: School Shootings: Communication To and For Children14 The Crisis Communications Plan Crisis Inventory Developing the Crisis Communications Plan