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CHAPTER 2 OF crisis management review of related literature
Aspects of the "crisis management
Crisis management review of related literature
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This week’s reading lead to some interesting topics, of which this short paper will attempt to discuss. Some of the focuses that the reading went over are: preparing for a public briefing or press conference, what are techniques to use, must air message, developing sound bites, developing pre-printed information, techniques to use in dealing with a hostile press, the importance of body language, recover from a press incident, and can an organization use social media to their advantage?
A major challenge in any crisis is preparing for a public briefing or press conference. At the same times, it seems that one of the trickiest parts of preparing a public briefing or press conference is trying to control the media in such a way that it ensures there is no permanent damage to the company. This is just one task for the Crisis Management Team. Now just preparing a statement may be suitable, however Hoffman suggests, “ the best way to start the process of preparing your response is to go through the exercise of thinking about the questions you will most likely be asked (Hoffman 2011).” This can be accomplished by simply brainstorming all potential questions the press could come up with.
So what are some techniques to use when one is tasked to brainstorm on potential questions? Well according to Hoffman there are three possible techniques. “1. Put yourselves in the shoes of those most immediately impacted by the situation (facility neighbors, customers, supporters, patients and their families, taxpayers, etc.) (Hoffman 2011).” This is the time to practice humility and get to the level of the audience. It is not time to get technical and show off all your vast knowledge. It’s time to just ask the 5 W’s and an H.
The second technique is...
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...then you are behind the power curve of the news media, and that is not something that benefits the company and its bottom line.
I know that knowing and controlling your body language would have been a great asset to BP. It is hard not so show and audience your true intent, when your body language makes up around 55% of the message being offered.
Works Cited
Hoffman, Judith C. Keeping Cool on the Hot Seat: Dealing Effectively with the Media in times of Crisis. Highland Mills, NY: Four C's Pub., 2011. Print.
"BP." Deepwater Horizon Accident and Response. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014. .
Webley, Kayla. "100 Days of the BP Spill: A Timeline." Time. Time Inc., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014. .
The BP oil spill began with the explosion of the mobile offshore drilling unit known as the Deepwater Horizon, then operating in the Macondo Prospect Oil Field some 60 kilometers off the coast of the U.S. state of Louisiana, on April 29, 2010. The leak was capped on July 15, 2010, with a repair to the underwater wellhead ruptured by the Deepwater Horizon explosion. Thus, the BP oil spill lasted for about three months. During this time, roughly 5 million barrels of crude oil leaked from the wellhead into the Gulf of Mexico. The flow rate was not uniform, beginning...
Not knowing what to do, businesses tried to buy out journalists to silence them and to pay for advertisements in the newspapers (Seitel, 2006, pg. 29). This strategy did not work for long however because “the best way to influence public opinion was through honesty and candor” (Seitel, 2006, pg. 29). Out of this idea came the first great public relations counselor, George V.S. Michaelis
Media outlets demanded answers from BP concerning what caused the disaster that started April 10, 2010. It became one of the worst environmental spills in U.S. history. Instead of owning up to the problem and taking responsibility, the company went on an offensive-blame-fueled binge that left those affected by the events horrified and angry. (Houpe, 2010)
For many, it is commonplace to criticize media’s methodology in one way or another. In fact, it may be necessary to keep major news companies honest and partial about the information they provide to millions. This is especially so in a climate where, for example, a police and civilian shooting may incite riots and outrage across large cities. Should incorrect information be published, there may be substantial consequences in response to something false. Rebecca Solnit argues in her piece, When Media Is the Disaster, that the media’s tendency to treat property as more valuable than human life depicts victims of natural disasters as criminals, rather than survivors.
In “Reporting the News” by George C. Edwards III, Martin P. Wattenberg, and Robert L. Lineberry, the main idea is how the media determines what to air, where to get said stories that will air, how the media presents the news, and the medias effect on the general public. “Reporting The News” is a very strong and detailed article. The authors’ purpose is to inform the readers of what goes on in the news media. This can be inferred by the authors’ tone. The authors’ overall tone is critical of the topics that are covered. The tone can be determined by the authors’ strong use of transitions, specific examples, and phrases or words that indicate analysis. To summarize, first, the authors’ indicate that the media chooses its stories that will air
In his editorial "Words Triumph Over Images," Curtis Wilkie blames today’s media for being “reckless” and “a mutant reality show”. He believes that television and radio are “unfiltered”, which causes the quality of journalism for newspapers to be unmatched. Yet, it is unfair to label all media that is not print as lesser because the quality of any media relies on the viewers and the individual journalists, and in drastic situations like a hurricane, reporters may have many road blocks. Any of these aspects can affect the quality of journalism, which invalidates Curtis Wilkie’s claim.
... on Corporate Speech, the Press Is a Problem." New York Times 8 Feb. 2011: A12(L). Student Resource Center - Gold. Web. 8 Mar. 2011.
The more people hear of these disasters, the easier it is to accept them. Shocking ‘breaking news’ headlines have now become common and ordinary. In fact, different news broadcasters seem to compete between each other trying to announce the most surprising stories every day. The viewer’s slowly become apathetic to stories of other people’s sufferings and calamities. Many may say that there are good sides to the media’s involvement. Author Ruxandra Floroiu, in her book, Altering America: Effective Risk Communication, discusses communications regarding risk associated with hazards and disasters, she boasts,” [it’s] making it possible to track potential disaster agents, alert authorities, and educate.” Although the media and technology help these issues, the media often exceeds these boundaries and interferes with the lives of innocent victims. Writer Anant Bhan, further explains my stance in a letter he wrote to the editor of a previous article. He reminds “media plays an important role in providing information at the time of crises,” however one should not forget the people who “might be vulnerable as they have gone through a traumatic experience, might be in acute pain and distress and also in grief because of loss” (Bhan, par.2). Here he portrays that there are other ways of alerting the public without having to utilize suffering victims. Those people often times are not given a choice and are presumptuously interrogated. In his letter he includes how the media handled the Asian tsunami in 2004. He highlights that the care and aid for the injured are the most important things in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Those victims and family members that are willing to communicate with the media and have full consent should be the only ones being interviewed. Presumptuous interviewers have in several occasions surpassed the
The discipline of public relations is a modern profession which has been in existence for only close to a century; however, it has already taken an important role in the fields of business, government, entertainment and non-profit organizations including educational institutions and healthcare organizations. Public relations professionals are required to have excellent organizational, interpersonal and communication skills and have the ability to persuade the public. It is imperative for PR professionals to effectively communicate with its public in order to establish and maintain a positive relationship. Furthermore, public relations professionals must have the ability to work under pressure and effectively manage crisis which may have detrimental effect on the company and the public it serves. State purpose of paper and an overview of what will be covered in the introduction
Mass media were classically a buffer between the public and those with power and influence; however, social media has removed that buffer (Verdegem, D 'heer & Mechant, 2013). Part of social media’s importance is to allow a substantial amount of people to share information, much more so than was possible in the blogosphere (Bruns & Highfield, 2015). Both journalists and the public utilize social media as a method of sharing information and attempting to engage the audience (Bruns & Highfield, 2015). Social media further blurs the divisions between journalists and the public (Bruns & Highfield, 2015). In fact, social media to at least some degree puts everyone on relatively equal footing as it relates to sharing information, at least as it relates to the
The communication process is not something that begins when a crisis rears its ugly head rather it is a process that takes place in preparing for a crisis before it happens. While the term crisis represents a blanket term used to describe many situations, each situation is unique, thus presenting different obstacles to overcome. However, with a well-established advanced plan in place an organization places itself in a position to overcome and work around obstacles. The development of a comprehensive crisis management plan is one achieved through effective communication where each member of the crisis management team has an advanced shared understanding of his or her role and responsibility during a time of crisis (du Pr'e, 2005).
Managing a Crisis Using Public Relations Handling Public Relations for any organization can be very difficult. task in any circumstance - even in simple, non-crisis situations. When a crisis strikes, that's when PR managers really have their work. cut out for them to see. A PR manager must always be prepared for the inevitable crisis to happen because that is when their jobs are really tested by the public and the organization.
Lowrey, W. (2004). Media Dependency During a Large-Scale Social Disruption: The Case of September 11. Mass Communication & Society, 7, 3, 339-357.
Sabato, Larry J. Feeding Frenzy: Attack Journalism and American Politics. Baltimore: Lanahan Publishers, Inc., 1991.
Journalism: a profession under pressure? Journal of Media Business Studies, 6, 37-59. Scannell, P. (1995). The 'Secondary'. Social aspects of media history, Unit 9 of the MA in Mass. Communications (By Distance Learning).