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  • Writer's pictureDesiree Peterkin Bell

What is Crisis Communication and why is it necessary?

According to Desiree Peterkin Bell, as a manager, you must understand what a crisis is and how to respond quickly. A crisis plan is critical for your company. Crisis communication consists of various components. Among these elements are a comprehensive contact database, various messages, holding statements, and templates. You must be aware of your personality type and how it influences your reaction to a crisis. Then, you should have a solid communication strategy in place to assist you deal with the problem.


A crisis might be technical or confrontational, or it can be caused by natural calamities. Organizations must have a crisis communication strategy in place to guarantee that internal and external communications are maintained during an emergency. In addition to internal communications, crisis management necessitates that everyone in the firm understands how to respond to social media.


The director of university communications serves as a liaison between CCT and the Emergency Resource Team (ERT). This individual keeps you up to date on the problem. The Director of University Communications/Public Information Officer is in charge of all communications concerns during a crisis. The Director of University Communications assesses the facts of the problem to identify the best course of action. Other members of the university's communication staff may be involved in the process as well.


Desiree Peterkin Bell described that, accuracy is critical during a crisis. People want reliable information, and even when time constraints are severe, mistakes and inaccuracies are unavoidable. Inaccuracies and false remarks harm an organization's reputation and image. The greatest method to maintain accuracy is to talk with a single voice. If a single group talks with a consistent voice, the public will feel more linked to the situation.


Your organization may not want to announce the situation on its website in the early phases of a crisis. Many organizations believe that stakeholders will not be alerted elsewhere, however this is not the case. It is critical not just to develop an effective crisis website, but also to have an accessible web presence.


A crisis necessitates rapid response and different ways than normal happenings. A crisis varies from an average occurrence in terms of its scale, the strain imposed on communicators, and the necessity to respond quickly. A crisis communications plan can aid in catastrophe prevention. We've witnessed distressing situations in recent years that necessitate crisis communication management. Developing a crisis communication strategy can help you avoid the worst-case situation and respond to it in a timely and effective manner.


In Desiree Peterkin Bell’s opinion, the ideas of crisis communication differ widely, yet they all aim to increase communication efficacy. According to the attribution hypothesis, a company's public image is influenced by its crisis response. According to the attribution hypothesis, when people blame a firm for a crisis, the company's reputation suffers. The situational crisis communication theory, on the other hand, is founded on the situational theory, which suggests a crisis response plan depending on the risk of a certain type of crisis.


The three-stage procedure is analogous to the idea of a crisis life cycle. The life cycle of a crisis is divided into three stages: avoidance, mitigation, and recovery. The later stage focuses on crisis prevention by understanding the causes of the problem and adopting measures to avoid a similar issue in the future. The repercussions of the crisis are still felt in the chronic stage. To mitigate the negative impacts, a team concentrating on crisis prevention may be developed.


A crises' definition is not readily agreed upon. Many researchers, however, believe that certain elements are indicative of a crisis. The severity of the crisis, the stakes involved, and the immediacy of the issue are all elements for identifying a crisis. In a crisis, stakeholders must respond promptly to protect the organization's integrity.

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