Crisis communication Study Guide

📖 Core Concepts Crisis Communication – PR sub‑specialty that protects reputation by collecting, processing, and disseminating information during a threat. Crisis vs. Incident – Crisis: serious, threatens performance; Incident: minor, no performance threat. Social Construction of Meaning – Stakeholders’ perceptions (positive/neutral/negative) determine whether an event becomes a crisis. Stealing Thunder – Proactively disclosing bad news before others do; works best when the org is seen as transparent. Crisis Fatigue – Cognitive/ emotional overload from continuous crisis exposure, especially on social media, leading to reduced attention and compliance. 📌 Must Remember Five Image‑Repair Strategies: deny, evading responsibility, reducing offensiveness, corrective action, mortification. SCCT Core Idea: match response strategy to crisis type (victim, accident, intentional) and stakeholder attribution of responsibility. Pre‑Crisis Tasks: risk identification → crisis plan → annual test → press‑release templates → “dark page”. Timing Integration: pre‑crisis prep → crisis identification → assessment → coordinated communication. AI Ethics: keep transparency, monitor bias, retain a human‑in‑the‑loop for empathy & accountability. 🔄 Key Processes Crisis Management Cycle Pre‑Crisis: risk audit → plan → training & drills. Crisis: detect → assess → activate response team → issue initial statement → ongoing updates. Post‑Crisis: debrief → performance review → integrate lessons → update plan. SCCT Response Selection Identify crisis type (victim, accidental, preventable). Gauge stakeholder attribution (high vs. low responsibility). Choose strategy: Low responsibility → rebuild (e.g., corrective action). High responsibility → diminish (e.g., mortification, apology). Stealing Thunder Procedure Verify facts. Release transparent statement before external leaks. Follow with concrete actions & continued updates. 🔍 Key Comparisons Denial vs. Mortification – Denial: reject wrongdoing; Mortification: admit fault & seek forgiveness. Crisis vs. Incident – Crisis: threatens performance & reputation; Incident: minor, no major impact. Pre‑Crisis vs. In‑Crisis Tactics – Pre: planning, templates, drills; In‑Crisis: rapid fact‑based release, responsibility taking, corrective actions. Human‑Generated vs. AI‑Generated Messages – Human: high empathy, accountability; AI: speed, sentiment tracking, risk of bias. ⚠️ Common Misunderstandings “Apology = Weakness” – Mortification (apology) can increase credibility when stakeholders see high responsibility. “More Information = Better” – Over‑loading during crisis fatigue reduces attention; concise, clear messages work best. “AI Can Replace Humans” – AI assists but must not replace human judgment; ethical lapses erode trust. 🧠 Mental Models / Intuition Attribution Triangle (Kelley) – Stakeholders ask: Consensus (do others see it?), Distinctiveness (is it unique to the org?), Consistency (does it happen repeatedly?). High scores → blame the org. Narrative Control Loop – Early, transparent disclosure → audience perceives control → higher credibility → easier later repairs. 🚩 Exceptions & Edge Cases Stealing Thunder in High‑Risk Industries – Early disclosure may trigger regulatory penalties; weigh legal counsel. Cultural Power Distance – In high power‑distance cultures, top‑down directives are expected; a grassroots tone may backfire. Rumor‑Driven Crises – Denial works only when evidence is clear; otherwise, evading responsibility can appear evasive. 📍 When to Use Which Denial – Use for false rumors with verifiable evidence; avoid if any truth exists. Corrective Action – Deploy when the org can fix the problem and prevent recurrence (e.g., product recall). Mortification – Choose when stakeholder attribution of responsibility is high and trust must be rebuilt. AI Sentiment Monitoring – Apply during fast‑moving digital crises to gauge public mood; still pair with human message crafting. Culturally Tailored Channels – Use official top‑down broadcasts in high power‑distance societies; employ community influencers in low power‑distance settings. 👀 Patterns to Recognize Rapid Social‑Media Spike + Negative Sentiment → likely crisis onset; trigger monitoring alerts. Repeated Attribution Queries → stakeholder sees org as responsible; shift to mortification & corrective action. Message Saturation > 3 per hour → risk of crisis fatigue; throttle communications. AI‑Flagged Misinformation → prioritize debunking and transparent correction. 🗂️ Exam Traps Confusing “Incident” with “Crisis” – Remember the performance‑threat criterion. Choosing “Denial” for a proven fault – Will be marked wrong; correct response is mortification or corrective action. Assuming AI eliminates ethical issues – Exams often test awareness of bias, transparency, and accountability. Over‑generalizing cultural advice – High vs. low power distance is a tendency, not an absolute rule; answer choices that claim “always” are distractors. Mixing up the five Image‑Repair strategies – Pay attention to wording: “reducing offensiveness” ≠ “mortification”. --- Use this guide to skim core ideas, memorize the high‑yield facts, and spot the patterns that will appear on your exam. Good luck!