Crisis Communication and the Web Two New Books

Public Relations Quarterly, Winter 2000 by Adams, Bill

Crisis Communication and The Web Two New Books

Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing, and Responding, W. Timothy Coombs, Sage Publications (1999)

Spinning the Web: A Handbook for Public Relations on the Internet, Diane F. Witmer, Longman (2000)

Reviewed by Bill Adams, APR, Fellow PRSA Florida International University

At first glance, these slim paperback titles would appear to be disparate efforts by two academics who write decidedly non-academically about two subjects of great import to public relations practitioners and scholars alike. In fact, aside from their affordability and timeliness, these books have much in common. Certainly, much is being written these days about the increasing importance of the Internet in public relations work, and crisis communication continues to loom large in this era of ubiquitous legislation over failed products, consumer dissatisfaction and disasters of all stripes (including, as this is being written, an on-going crisis of confidence engulfing the electoral process in a manner seldom experienced in this country's history).

But what binds these books tightly in the most telling manner is both authors' ability to take potentially mind-numbing subjects and transform them into palatable bytes for an audience ranging from the neophyte and computer-challenged to the seasoned practitioner and academic thirsting for the latest research.

Conversely - and a reason for investing in both books - Spinning the Web devotes scant mention to crisis management, while Coombs offers but a few pages to the role of the Web in combatting crises. Taken together, however, readers will get the best of both subjects.

Personally averse to the term "spin" as applied to public relations, this reviewer ignored the pejorative applications of Witmer's title and spun (sorry) through the book's open-faced 233 pages in no time, thankful for the author's explanation of "spin" being merely a "play on words." She says her use of the term indicates "a sense of advocacy, persuasion, and perspective - but not to imply in any way unethical or manipulative persuasion tactics. On the contrary," she continues in her Introduction, "this book emphasizes the ethical challenges we face when we use the Internet, and encourages practitioners to adhere to the highest ethical and moral standards in all their endeavors."

Although books and articles about the Internet have a reputation for being dated as soon as their print is dry, Witmer's book should have a decent shelf-life, given its more general nature and her decision to eschew the habit favored by authors who include interminable lists of "favorite" web sites (most of which have disappeared or are "under construction" by the time the reader investigates). All-in-all, a wise move in this time of clanking dot-com crashes.

Spinning the Web is organized much like a primer almost in the mold of the infamous "for dummies" series - each chapter leading with "Learning Objectives" and ending with "Exercises" and references for that chapter. (Much handier, in this reviewer's opinion, than having to flip to the back of the book each time you want to check a citation.) Chapters are arranged much as one would a public relations campaign, including an overview of public relations (excellent for the ingenue), then a tour through Research, Planning, Execution and Evaluation, with the role of the Web embedded strongly into each segment.

Credit also is due Witmer's breezy, easy-to-comprehend writing style (exceptionally non-tekkie) and her comprehensive glossary of Webby terms (worth the price of admission alone for some of us). All told, then, a handy reference guide geared to a wide spectrum of those interested in the Internet's growing role in the communications process and the connection between public relations and communications technology.

As for the Coombs book, one might understandably ask if we need yet another volume on crisis communication. This reviewer's answer is - in spite of a recent glut in titles covering the discipline - in this case, an unqualified "yes." Coombs, currently at Western Michigan University, has achieved the rare feat of producing a book that should please both the academic researcher (plenty of citations, theory and references) and the practitioner who wants to understand the "why" and not only the "how" of planning for and handling crises.

Including 13 pages of references and additional reading suggestions, plus a four-page index, Ongoing Crisis Communication's 171 pages are organized into nine readable chapters, beginning with a welcome rationale of the need for more crisis management information. In his overview, Coombs whose practical crisis-consulting experience apart from his scholarly research serves him well here says his book "offers a comprehensive approach for structuring a crisis management program," and is geared to those "practicing, researching or teaching crisis management." A tough goal, but one he pulls off through a mixture of academic writing, grounded in theory and research, but including anecdotal chapter vignettes, dubbed "Application Points," designed to allow readers to see where the research leads. Likewise, each chapter wraps with a decidedly non-academic "Conclusion," putting the chapter into perspective for those not interested in checking out each citation (and there are many).