Crisis Communications: A Casebook Approach (Routledge Communication Series)

A casebook approach to studying crisis communications means learning from the actions of those who have experienced crises. What did they expect? What actually happened? Were they prepared? What were their strategies? What were their challenges, pressures, and problems? Were the news media adversarial or supportive? If they had to do it again, what would they do differently? These and other questions are answered in the case studies of this second edition. Presenting organizational and individual problems that may become crises and the communication responses to these situations, this revision of Fearn-Banks' very successful text: * presents crisis communication theory, including a critique of the communications of White Star Lines after its Titanic sank on its maiden voyage; * describes ways of determining the most likely and most damaging crises that may strike an organization; * centers on causes of crisis--rumor, "gotcha" television news and the non-expert expert, and crises caused by the news media; * gets into the 21st century and cyberspace-caused crises, including mini-cases of rogue Web sites and e-mail rumors; * explains how to communicate with the news media, lawyers, internal publics or audiences, and external publics; and * includes narrated case studies illustrating how spokespersons and managers used communication in several kinds of crises. The text is supplemented by a workbook, enabling students to test their knowledge and develop their skills. Written as a primer for crisis communications, public relations, and communications management, Crisis Communications serves as an essential resource in the practice of public relations and corporate communications.