Risk and Crisis Communications: Methods and Messages

RISK AND CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS: Methods and Messages......Page 5
CONTENTS......Page 7
LIST OF TABLES......Page 11
PREFACE......Page 13
1: INTRODUCTION......Page 15
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND......Page 19
KEY DEFINITIONS......Page 21
THE STAGES OF A CRISIS......Page 24
THE PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION......Page 25
THE PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE COMMUNICATION EVENT......Page 27
REFERENCES......Page 31
AUDIENCE PERCEPTIONS OF THE COMMUNICATOR......Page 33
TRUST AND CREDIBILITY......Page 35
FOUR THEORETICAL MODELS......Page 39
The Risk Perception Model......Page 40
The Negative Dominance Model......Page 42
The Trust Determination Model......Page 43
RISK = HAZARD + OUTRAGE......Page 44
High Hazard/Low Outrage (“Watch out!”)......Page 45
Low Hazard/High Outrage (“Calm down!”)......Page 46
MENTAL MODELS......Page 47
Care Communications......Page 49
Crisis Communications......Page 50
THE EXCELLENCE THEORY......Page 51
REFERENCES......Page 52
KEY SUCCESSFUL MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT CONCEPTS......Page 55
MESSAGE CRAFTING—DETERMINING PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES......Page 57
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT CONSTRAINTS......Page 59
PROFILING AUDIENCES—WHO ARE THEY AND WHAT DO THEY WANT?......Page 60
PROFILING AUDIENCES—HOW DO THEY PROCESS AND PERCEIVE THE RISK?......Page 64
REFERENCES......Page 66
CRAFTING MESSAGES—OVERARCHING PRINCIPLES......Page 69
CONVEYING EMPATHY......Page 71
AUDIENCE EMOTIONS—ANGER......Page 73
AUDIENCE EMOTIONS—FEAR, PANIC, AND APATHY......Page 77
MESSAGE-CRAFTING TECHNIQUES......Page 80
INFLUENCE DIAGRAMS—THE MENTAL MODELS APPROACH......Page 81
MESSAGE MAPPING......Page 84
REFERENCES......Page 89
MESSAGE DELIVERY TEMPLATES......Page 91
THE USE OF VISUALS IN A COMMUNICATION EVENT......Page 96
DELIVERING THE MESSAGE IN THE AGE OF THE INTERNET......Page 99
Failing to Communicate Technical Information......Page 103
Making Value Judgments about “Acceptable” Levels of Risk......Page 104
Responding Too Quickly or Not Quickly Enough......Page 105
Failing to Speak with One Voice......Page 106
THE USE OF CONTENT ANALYSIS AND READABILITY ANALYSES......Page 107
EVALUATING THE COMMUNICATION EVENT......Page 108
REFERENCES......Page 112
7: WORKING WITH THE MEDIA......Page 115
LEVEL OF ORGANIZATIONAL EXPERTISE......Page 116
ADVANCE DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE MEDIA......Page 117
THE VARIOUS ROLES OF THE MEDIA......Page 118
CONSTRAINTS OF THE MEDIA AND MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES......Page 119
WHAT THE MEDIA NEEDS FROM AN ORGANIZATION......Page 120
FAIR MEDIA COVERAGE......Page 122
DEVELOPING A MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS PLAN......Page 123
GETTING THE ACCURATE MESSAGE OUT......Page 124
CHOOSING A SPOKESPERSON......Page 125
PREPARING FOR AN INTERVIEW......Page 127
AFTER THE INTERVIEW......Page 128
REFERENCES......Page 133
8: DEVELOPING A RISK AND CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS PLAN......Page 135
RISK ASSESSMENT TOOLS SUMMARY......Page 136
KEY PLANNING GUIDELINES AND PROCESSES......Page 138
KEY PLAN ELEMENTS......Page 143
REFERENCES......Page 145
CRISIS COMMUNICATION PRINCIPLES......Page 147
WORST-CASE SCENARIOS......Page 149
DEALING WITH AN OUTRAGED AUDIENCE IN A CRISIS......Page 151
DEALING WITH AN AMBIVALENT AUDIENCE IN A CRISIS......Page 152
DEALING WITH FATALITIES......Page 155
DEALING WITH RUMORS......Page 158
REFERENCES......Page 164
10: CASE STUDIES......Page 167
THE H1N1 PANDEMIC OF 2009–2010......Page 168
Involvement of Stakeholders in the Strategy Planning Process......Page 169
Public Health Education about Pandemics......Page 171
How Bad Is a Pandemic Really?—Reducing Trust and Credibility......Page 175
Over-Reassuring the Public about Vaccine Availability......Page 177
Success of the Government’s and Public Health System’s Efforts......Page 184
THE BP DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL......Page 185
Understanding the Technical Nature of the Spill......Page 187
Trust and Credibility......Page 192
Worst-Case Scenario—How Much Oil?......Page 193
Worst-Case Scenario—How Long Until the Leak Is Stopped?......Page 200
Choosing a Spokesperson Wisely and Knowing When to Let Them Go......Page 202
REFERENCES......Page 203
11: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS......Page 207
THEORETICAL MODELS AND FRAMEWORKS......Page 208
CRAFTING RISK AND CRISIS MESSAGES......Page 209
MESSAGE DELIVERY......Page 211
WORKING WITH THE MEDIA AND CHOOSING A SPOKESPERSON......Page 213
DEVELOPING A RISK/CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS PLAN......Page 215
SPECIAL RISK AND CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS SITUATION......Page 216
CASE STUDIES......Page 219
WHAT IT ALL MEANS FOR YOU AND YOUR ORGANIZATION......Page 220
REFERENCES......Page 221
INDEX......Page 223