Risk and Crisis in a Dynamic Environment: Crisis Communication in a

Wired World

EUPRERA 2010W. Timothy Coombs

University of Central Florida

Crisis Process

Visibility of communicative efforts

Crisis response

• Visible to constituents• Became focus of crisis communication

research

Focus today

• Once “hidden” aspects of crisis communication

• Pre-crisis and Post-crisis• New risks and communication demands

Evolution via online world

Evolution via online world

Evolution via online world

Evolution: Post-crisis communication

• More visible• Less attention/interest than crisis phase• First to become more visible

Evolution: Post-crisis communication

• More memorials• Online memorials– Official and Spontaneous– Uni-vocal and Multi-vocal

Online memorials

• Official– Operated/sponsored by the organization

• Spontaneous– Content sharing sites (Flickr and YouTube)– Web sites– Social networking sites– Blogs

Online memorials

• Uni-vocal: speak with one voice– Typical for organization sponsored– The Cantor Families Memorial Site 9/11

• Multi-vocal: array of voices– Common in spontaneous – Allows for individual expression– Transocean for Deepwater Horizon victims

Functions of memorial

• Celebrate or honor persons or events• Aid in healing from the crisis• Allows for grieving • Honor those who helped

Private becomes public

Choices for organization: Risk

• Become involved with memorial• Level of involvement– Links (recognition)– Sponsorship/Host

Evolution: Pre-crisis communication

• Semi-private become public– Focus on prevention– Act upon threats/warning signs

• Growth of the paracrisis

Paracrisis

• Managed much like a crisis– Communication interventions

• Stakes can be high as in a crisis

Now public communication

• Response to the challenge– Communication about corrective action– Reason there is no threat

Online reality

Constituents

Social media

• Venue where challenges transpire– Challenge– Response

Paracrisis

• Like a crisis• Really a threat/warning sign• Many now handled in public– Especially true for challenge crises– Rumor crises too

Private becomes public

Visibility is risk

• Actions more visible• Pressure to be effective• Danger of not reacting

YouTube Video

• Nestle sought to block it• Increased awareness• First charges of censorship

Response = Censorship

"Oh please...it's like we're censoring everything to allow only positive comments"

Change

• Greater transparency across range of crisis communication

Rules

• Avoid being absent• Go where the action is• Be there before the crisis

Finale

• New challenges• Channel selection• Moving from private to public– Errors compounded

• Still driven by strategic thinking (old)