Crisis Communications: A Casebook Approach

by Kathleen Fearn-Banks

Overview

No company, organization, or individual whose livelihood depends on public reaction can afford to function without a crisis communications plan. This student workbook reviews the critical terminologies, processes, and skills needed for understanding and responding to crises. It prepares individuals for responding to crises in a variety of contexts, and reinforces strategies and tactics to be used during a crisis. Chapters include instructive case studies of public relations professionals in crises: what they did, what they wished they had done, and what hampered their progress. The exercises provide students with the opportunity to respond to real-world crises, sharpening their own skills and practicing response behaviors. This workbook will serve as a useful tool for all future practitioners.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781317410409
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/05/2016
Series:	ISSN
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	438
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Kathleen Fearn-Banks is a tenured professor with emeritus status in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington, USA.

Kevin Kawamoto is a former Associate Professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA. 

Table of Contents

	Preface	ix
1	The Nature of Crises	1
2	The Crisis Communications Plan	5
3	Crisis Makers	45
4	Cyber Crises: Rogue Sites and E-mail Rumors	52
5	Managing a Crisis	60
6	Case: Johnson & Johnson and the Tylenol Murders	64
	Product tampering
	Media relations
	Consumer relations
	Government relations
	Employee relations
7	Case: Exxon and the Valdez Oil Spill	68
	Environmental issues
	Media relations
	Spokesperson problem
8	Case: Exxon's Other Story--Animal Rescue Centers and Alaskan Tourism	68
	Tourism
	Consumer/customer relations
	Media relations
	Advertising
9	Case: Snapps Restaurant and the AIDS Rumor	76
	Rumor management
	Media relations
	Consumer relations
	Government relations
10	Case: Cellular Phones and the Cancer Scare	79
	Non expert-expert
	Media relations
	Consumer relations
	Government relations
11	Case: United Way of America and the Overspending CEO	85
	Nonprofit organization
	Internal communications
	Media relations
12	Case: United Way of King County and the Overspending CEO	85
	Nonprofit organization
	Media relations
	Internal communications
	Community relations
13	Case: They Keep Coming--Chinese Immigrants in Canada	90
	Global communications
	Government public relations
	Political communications
	Constituent relations
14	Case: DC Mayor Anthony Williams and Another "N" Word	97
	Racial issues
	Political communications
	Media relations
	Governmental public relations
15	Case: Texas A&M University and the Bonfire Tragedy	101
	Fatal accidents
	Media relations
	Internal communications
	Community relations
16	Case: U.S. Postal Service and Workplace Violence	108
	Employee relations
	Labor relations
	Media relations
	Governmental public relations
17	Case: The Metro Transit Accident: Driver Shot, Bus Flies Off the Bridge	121
	Violence
	Accidents
	Media relations
	Internal communications
	Labor relations
	Multiple spokespersons
18	Case: Alpac Corporation and the Original Syringe-in-the-Can Scare	132
	Media relations
	Government relations
19	Case: Pepsi and the National Syringe-in-the-Can Scare	132
	Media relations
	Consumer relations
	Government relations
	Employee relations
	Advertising
20	Case: California State University, Northridge, and the 1994 Los Angeles Earthquake	136
	Media relations
	Internal communications
	Community relations
21	Case: Southern California Gas Company and the 1994 Los Angeles Earthquake	136
	Consumer relations
	Media relations
	Employee relations
	Community relations
22	Useful Web Sites	146

Editorial Reviews

"Crisis Communications provides a useful text for undergraduates new to the crisis field. Fearn-Banks has supplemented groundbreaking early case studies such as Johnson & Johnson’s Tylenol case with defining crisis cases such as Columbine and Katrina and more timely studies such as the international Ebola outbreak and racial crises in the United States." – Dr. Barbara S. Gainey, School of Communication & Media, Kennesaw State University

"Crisis Communications: A Casebook Approach integrates the array of concepts necessary for effective crisis response and management: the external and the internal; the organizational and the interpersonal; the strategic and the relational. I use Crisis Communications in my courses because it applies theory to practice, and teaches crisis thinking, not just crisis management." – Dr. Brian Smith, Brian Lamb School of Communication, Purdue University

"Crisis Communications has become a well-recognized and leading textbook across Europe as well, which provides an engaging and up-to-date overview of the practice of this fascinating field. The book is a valuable resource for both students and practitioners who wish to explore and understand crisis communication from a practical and professional perspective through insightful and thought-provoking case studies." - Dr. Gyorgy Szondi, Leeds Beckett University, UK and International Business School, Hungary

From the Publisher