JASPER DRAGGING DEATH: CRISIS COMMUNICATION AND THE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER, THE

Communication Studies, Spring 2004 by Glascock, Jack

CRISIS COMMUNICATION DISCOURSE

Typically a communication crisis involves an organization or individual. Barton defines a crisis as a situation characterized by surprise, posing a significant threat to important values, with a short amount of time in which to respond (Barton, 1993). Fishman expands on this, defining five characteristics common to a communication crisis: (1) an unpredictable event occurs; (2) important values are threatened, (3) the intention of the actors plays a minor role, (4) the event creates pressure for a timely response and (5) effective communication is required (Fishman, 1999).

Benoit asserts that a major goal of crisis communication discourse is to save face. Drawing upon literature dealing with individual self-defense strategies, Benoit contends that maintaining a favorable impression is important for organizations as well. Therefore when an organization's reputation is threatened by an unexpected event, the natural inclination is to present a response consisting of defenses, justifications, excuses, etc., for the offense (Benoit, 1995a). Hearit describes a similar concept, "the re-legitimization of an organization," as a primary motive for corporate response to crisis. According to Hearit, an organization depends on its social legitimacy for survival since it enables the company to attract the necessary resources for survival, such as scarce resources, patronage and political approval. Once damaged, a company's legitimacy has to be restored for the sake of survival (Hearit, 1995).

Fishman synthesizes three major approaches to communication crisis theory, which, he argues, allows for a more integrated, hence superior, methodological orientation. These include stage analysis, a strategies approach and a focusing events perspective. In Fink's stage analysis there are four stages through which a communication crisis evolves (Fink, 1986). During the prodromal stage warning signs that a potential crisis looms on the horizon are present. In order to avert a full-blown crisis an organization would need to be able to anticipate and detect these warning signs during this stage. In the second phase, the acute crisis stage, the crisis unfolds with rapid speed and intensity. The situation attracts media attention and threatens the well being of the company. In the next stage, the chronic crisis stage, the organization takes steps to correct whatever problems surfaced during the acute phase. In the final stage, the crisis resolution stage, the company recovers from the crisis and becomes whole again.

Birkland describes a focusing event as a sudden, unpredictable occurrence that results in public policy discussions, possibly leading to policy changes (Birkland, 1996). As such a crisis communication is seen as having an agenda setting function in that media coverage of the event focuses public attention on the issue and creates an urgency to correct the problem. An example would be the Columbine shootings, which renewed nationwide debate on gun control and school violence. In the aftermath schools have enacted a variety of regulations, such as requiring clear-coated or mesh backpacks, to protect students from gun violence (Fishman, 1999).