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)
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