DISCUSSION DUE IN 4 HOURS
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CH2CrisisCommunicationLecture2TheoryandPractice.pptxEffective Crisis Communication
Chapter 2 Understanding Theory and Practice
Ulmer, R., Sellnow, T., and Seeger, M. (2019). Effective crisis communication: Moving from crisis to opportunity. Sage Publications. Thousand Oaks, CA.
The Development of Theories
Psychological Theories – help us understand how people cognitively perceive and respond
Sociology – how to conduct community evacuations
Business – how the role of organizational structures apply
Mathematics & Physics – provide chaos and complexity theories
Political Science
Communication
Media Development Theories
News Framing Theory
Focusing Events
Crisis News Diffusion
Exemplification Theory
News Framing Theory
Reporters and Editors Choose news, approaches, and presentation (Gatekeeping)
Framing influences the public’s perception positively or negatively
If an organization is passive, then competitors will attempt to tip coverage.
710KEEL news story about a Caddo Parish bus driver losing her cool and dressing down - sometimes in a loud and profane manner - a bus filled with elementary school age students - presents the opportunity for news framing https://710keel.com/keel-listeners-say-hooray-for-the-bus-driver/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral
Focusing Events
Agenda Setting Theory
4 Attributes
Occur suddenly
Rare
Garner large scale attention
The public and policy makers prioritize them
Crisis News Diffusion
Seeks to understand how and when people receive information about crises.
Includes all channels of communication (TV, Print, Social Media, Internet, and F2F)
Looks at accuracy and expediency
1963 9/10 knew JFK was shot within 1 hour – Today it is faster
Exemplification Theory
Exemplars are short , vivid, and emotionally arousing visual, written, or spoken messages.
Theory provides insight into how emotional reactions are communicated and remembered over time.
Simply referring to a product with an exemplar can cause a reputational crisis.
https://www.npr.org/2019/07/05/738938037/police-identify-the-blue-bell-licker-in-viral-video
Organizational Crisis Communication Theories
Corporate Apologia
Image Repair Theory
Situational Crisis Theory
Discourse Renewal Theory
Corporate Apologia
Not exactly an “Apology” but a response
Seeks to present a competing account of accusations against the organization
Potential Apologia Strategies
Denial
Counterattack
Differentiation
Apology
Legal
Image Repair Theory
Image refers to how the organization is perceived by stakeholders and public
Must understand the nature of the attack/complaints
“Organization must be held accountable”
“The action must be considered offensive”
Benoit has 14 management strategies
Top 5
Denial
Evasion of responsibility
Reducing (Mitigating) offensiveness of the event
Corrective action
Mortification
Situational Crisis Theory
Analyzes threat level and suggests response based on level of threat
Strategies are used based on
Crisis type
Crisis history
Prior reputation
4 approaches
Denial
Diminishment
Rebuilding
Bolstering
Discourse Renewal Theory
Rebuilding, learning, and opportunity are more important than reputation or image.
Theoretical Components
Organizational Learning
Ethical Communication
Prospective vs Retrospective Vision
Effective Organizational Rhetoric
Threat Bias
Corporations and organizations often lean toward viewing crises only as a threat.
Leads to defensive and manipulative responses
Should consider both the threat AND the opportunity
Summary
Media Development Theories
Organizational Crisis Communication Theories
Beware of Threat Bias
