Communication In Times Of Trouble

By (author) Seeger, MW
Description

Presents the best practices of crisis communication and emergency risk communication

This book covers crisis communication strategies and focuses on practical applications for effective management. It includes an extensive discussion of best practices in pre-crisis, crisis and post crisis stages. The book pays special attention to the needs of meeting the needs of diverse audiences and communicating in a responsive and responsible way. The principles are appropriate for many kinds of events including earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, epidemics, and pandemics as well as industrial accidents, toxic spills, transportation disasters, fires and intentional events.

In the first chapter, Communication in Times of Trouble introduces the concept of best practices and establishes their relevance for crisis communication and emergency risk communication. A chapter is dedicated to each of the ten best practices. In each chapter, the best practice is described, examples of successful and unsuccessful application of the best practice in both organizational crises and natural disasters/emergencies are provided, advice for practical application is given, and a summary is provided. The concluding chapter details the challenges and opportunities for developing and implementing a response strategy that includes the best practices as a whole.

• Focuses on application and explanation in crisis communication to benefit those with backgrounds in emergency management, risk management, political science, disaster sociology, and public health
• Covers natural, large-scale emergencies such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, epidemics, and pandemics, which aren’t generally detailed in existing crisis communication texts
• Presents 10 best practices for dealing with emergencies: Process Approach; Pre-Event Planning; Partnerships; Public Concern; Honesty; Collaborate; Media access; Compassion; Uncertainty; Empowerment

Communication in Times of Trouble will be of great interest to undergraduate students and practitioners in communication, public relations, public affairs, public information, public health, and emergency management. 
Table of contents

Acknowledgements ix

1 Introduction 1

What Is a Crisis? 2

What Do We Mean by Crisis Communication? 4

What Distinguishes Crisis Communication? 7

What Are Best Practices? 7

Summary 9

References 10

2 Process Approach: Take a Process Approach to Crisis Communication 11

What Do We Mean by “Communication Is a Process”? 12

What Does a Process Approach Mean for Crisis? 12

What Is a Crisis Life Cycle? 14

How Can These Stages Be Used by Crisis Communicators? 16

Why Should Communicators Participate in the Policy Formation Process? 17

Summary 19

References 20

3 Preevent Planning: Engage in Preevent Planning for Crisis

Communication 21

What Does Planning Involve? 21

What Is Crisis Communication Planning? 23

How Is a Plan Created? 24

How Is Risk Assessed? 25

What Is Included in a Crisis Plan? 26

Standard Elements of a Crisis Communication Plan 28

Implementing a Crisis Plan 29

Summary 30

References 31

4 Partnerships: Form Stakeholder Partnerships With Publics 33

Why Do Crisis Leaders Sometimes Avoid Communicating With Their Publics? 33

How Are Relationships With Publics Established? 34

What Is Dialog? 35

Why Do Some Agencies and Organizations Fail to Establish Dialog? 36

How Does Dialog Produce Partnerships With Publics? 37

Are There Times When Dialog Should Be Avoided? 38

What Roles Can Publics Play in Their Partnerships With Organizations and Agencies? 39

Summary 41

References 42