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Unit 1: Crisis Communication Introduction  
The resources assigned for Unit 1 will give you the basic framework for
understanding crisis communication and its application in a professional
business environment. This unit will discuss what crisis communication
involves, types of crisis and crisis responses, and crisis communication
management. By explaining how crisis communication relates to
organizational communication and then looking at problems that lead to
crisis communication, you can learn the definition and principles of
crisis communication and can develop a deeper understanding of its value
in today’s market place. This unit will also provide a brief
introduction to the evolution of using social media during crisis. Later
in the course, Unit 3 will expand on the discussion of the value of
using social media in crisis communication management.

Unit 1 Time Advisory
This unit should take you approximately 6.25 hours to complete.
 

☐    Subunit 1.1: 2 hours

 
☐    Subunit 1.2: 0.75 hours

 
☐    Subunit 1.3: 0.75 hours

 
☐    Subunit 1.4: 0.25 hours

 
☐    Subunit 1.5: 1.5 hours
 
☐    Subunit 1.6: 1 hour

Unit1 Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

explain what crisis communication involves;describe and identify different types of crisis;describe the phases of crisis; anddescribe problems leading to crisis communication.

1.1 What Is Crisis Communication?  

Web Media: Vimeo: Rick Kelly’s “What Is Crisis Communications?”
Link: Vimeo: Rick Kelly’s “What Is Crisis
Communications?” (Flash)
 
Instructions: Watch this brief video on how crisis communication is
viewed from a business perspective. In this video, Rick Kelly,
Director of Crisis Communications at Triad Strategies, defines
crisis communication and discusses the importance of developing a
crisis communications plan.
 
Watching this video and pausing to take notes should take
approximately 15 minutes.
 
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported
License. It is
attributed to Rick Kelly, and the original version can be found
here.

Reading: The Community Tool Box: Phil Rabinowitz’s “Handling
Crises in Communication”
Link: The Community Tool Box: Phil Rabinowitz’s “Handling Crises in
Communication”
(HTML)
 
Instructions: Read this article for an overview and definition of
crisis communication and crisis communication management. This
reading also addresses reasons why crisis communication is
important. Note that it is not necessary to read the other chapters
referenced and linked in this reading.
 
Reading this article should take approximately 45 minutes.
 
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States
License. It
is attributed to Phil Rabinowitz, and the original version can be
found
here.

Lecture: iTunes U: Missouri State University: Samuel Dyer’s Crisis
Management Proseminar in Public Relations: “Lecture 3: What Is a
Crisis?”
Link: iTunes U: Missouri State University: Samuel Dyer’s Crisis
Management Proseminar in Public Relations: “Lecture 3: What Is a
Crisis?”
(iTunes U)
 
Instructions: Select “View in iTunes” for the lecture titled “What
Is a Crisis?” There are some administrative remarks at the beginning
of the lecture, so you may start the lecture at approximately 2
minutes. In this lecture, Dyer discusses how Timothy Coombs, a noted
crisis communication author and researcher, looks at defining crisis
and how management and employees often have different perceptions
about what dictates a crisis.
 
Listening to this lecture and pausing to take notes should take
approximately 1 hour.
 
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

1.2 Types of Crisis  

Reading: Wikipedia: “Crises Management”
Link: Wikipedia: “Crisis
Management”
(HTML)
 
Instructions: Read the “Types of Crisis” section of this article,
stopping at “Crisis Leadership.” This section will help you
understand the various types of crisis that can occur and that
should be considered and customized for various organizational
crisis management planning.
 
Reading this section should take approximately 15 minutes.
 
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported
License. The
original Wikipedia article can be found
here.

Lecture: iTunes U: Missouri State University: Samuel Dyer’s Crisis
Management Proseminar in Public Relations: “Lecture 9: Anticipating
Types of Crisis”
Link: iTunes U: Missouri State University: Samuel Dyer’s Crisis
Management Proseminar in Public Relations: “Lecture 9: Anticipating
Types of
Crisis”
(iTunes U)
 
Instructions: Select “View in iTunes” for the lecture titled
“Anticipating Types of Crisis.” Listen to Samuel Dyer’s continued
discussion on Timothy Coombs’s book about different types of crisis,
beginning with natural disasters, which are also referred to as acts
of God. You will understand the various types of crisis that can
occur and should be planned for by various organizations. He also
shares that 44% of organizations still do not have a dedicated
crisis management team.
 
Listening to this lecture and pausing to take notes should take
approximately 30 minutes.
 
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

1.3 Crisis Management Stages  

Web Media: Vimeo: Mitchell Friedman and Rebecca Anderson’s “The
Role of Public Relations in Crisis Management”
Link: Vimeo: Mitchell Friedman and Rebecca Anderson’s “The Role of
Public Relations in Crisis
Management” (Flash)
 
Instructions: Watch this video presentation for a better
understanding of crisis communication as a business or organization
problem. In particular, note the stages of crisis communication.
 
Watching this video and pausing to take notes should take
approximately 45 minutes.
 
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

1.4 Four Types of Crisis Response  

Reading: The University of Texas at Austin: Jeremy Simon’s
“Apologize, Deny, Justify, or Excuse: How Crisis Response Affects
Perceptions of Company, CEO Differently”
Link: The University of Texas at Austin: Jeremy Simon’s “Apologize,
Deny, Justify, or Excuse: How Crisis Response Affects Perceptions of
Company, CEO
Differently”
(HTML)
 
Instructions: Read this article to learn how the four types of
corporate crisis responses affect the perception of the company and
the CEO differently.
 
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
 
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported
License. It is
attributed to Jeremy Simon, and the original version can be found
here.

1.5 The Evolution of Using Social Media in Disaster Response  

Reading: All about Public Relations: Diana Ennen’s “Social
Networking Changes Everything”
Link: All about Public Relations: Diana Ennen’s “Social Networking
Changes Everything”
(HTML)
 
Instructions: Read this article to learn about how social networks
have changed everything in public relations. The readings in this
subunit will help prepare you for the material in Unit 3.
 
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
 
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Reading: Zoe Fox’s “Red Cross Launches Social Media Disaster
Response Center”
Link: Zoe Fox’s “Red Cross Launches Social Media Disaster Response
Center”
(HTML)
 
Instructions: Read this article and watch the embedded video to
learn about social media’s growing application for disaster
response.
 
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
 
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Reading: Colorado Nonprofit Association: “Introduction to Social
Media Strategy”
Link: Colorado Nonprofit Association: “Introduction to Social Media
Strategy”
(PDF)
 
Instructions: On this webpage, select the link for “Social Media
Toolkit” to download the PDF. Read this document for an introduction
to social media strategy that has application to both non-profit and
other organizations.
 
Reading this document should take approximately 1 hour.
 
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Unit 1 Assessment  

Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s “Problems That Lead to Crisis
Communication”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Problems That Lead to Crisis
Communication”
(PDF)
 
Instructions: This assessment is divided into two parts. Both
highlight the importance of preparing for expected problems that can
lead to crises and using the appropriate crisis response. In the
first part, you are given five paragraph scenarios. Each scenario
illustrates one of the eight crisis event types from a public
relations perspective as discussed in the Unit 1 readings. In the
second part, you are given five questions related to the crisis
scenario illustrated in the first part of this assessment. To answer
the questions, you will match them with the correct crisis
communication response strategies and write one sentence to
summarize what was communicated in the response strategy that you
selected based on the readings in Unit 1. Once you have completed
the assessment, check your answers against The Saylor Foundation’s
“Answer Key to Problems That Lead to Crisis
Communication.”
 
Completing this assessment should take approximately 1 hour.