Student Workbook to Accompany Crisis Communications

Kathleen Fearn-Banks, a tenured associate professor, joined the faculty of the School of Communications, University of Washington (Seattle) in 1990 after more than 25 years in the communications profession. In addition to being a feature writer at the Los Angeles Times and a news-writer, producer, and reporter for a Los Angeles network affiliated television station, she also headed, for more than 20 years, nationwide publicity campaigns for NBC Television Network series, specials, and movies. She was also vice-president of development and public relations for the Neighbors of Watts, an entertainment industry non-profit which raised funds for daycare centers in underprivileged areas of Los Angeles.

Table of Contents Chapter 1 Crisis Communications: Then and Now 7 Crises Alleviated or Prevented by Relatively New Technology Crises Started with Relatively New Technology Mini-case: White Star Line's Titanic Sinks (Includes: media relations; consumer relations) Chapter 2 Managing a Crisis 15 Communicating with the News Media Communicating with Internal Publics Communicating with Lawyers Communicating Directly with the Masses Chapter 3 Crisis Communications Theory 23 Apologia Theory Image Restoration Theory Decision Theory Diffusion Theory Excellence Theory Chapter 4 "Textbook" Cases 29 Case: Johnson & Johnson and the Tylenol Murders (Includes: product tampering; media relations; consumer relations; government relations; employee relations) Case: The Exxon Valdez and the Oil Spill (Includes: a public relations campaign; environmental issues; media relations; importance of spokespersons; tourism; advertising Chapter 5 Rumors and Cybercrises 40 Word of Mouth Rumors Mini-case: Procter & Gamble and the Satanism Rumor Mini-case: Tropical Fantasy and the Sterility Rumor Case: Snapps and the AIDS Rumor (Includes: rumor management; media relations; customer relations; government relations) E-Mail Rumors Mini-case: University of Texas Fights Rumor with A Website Mini-case: Microsoft Fights E-mailed News Release Mini-case: The Killer Banana Rumor Rogue Websites Mini-case: Alaska Airlines and the Good and Bad News Websites Mini-case: Dunkin' Donuts Adopts a Rogue Website Mini-case: American Online and a Suck Site Mini-case: Walter Cronkite and the Not-So-Funny Site Blogs Chapter 6 Natural Disasters 48 Case: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans (Includes: mini-case on the American Red Cross (non-profit isssues); media relations; online communications; political communications; mass public communications; global news coverage; constituent relations) Case: California State University and the Earthquake (Includes: media relations; community relations; internal/employee relations) Chapter 7 Cultures: Foreign and Domestic 57 Case: AIDS in Africa (Includes: community relations to segmented publics; media relations; internal communications) Case: Chinese Immigrants in Canada (Includes: media relations; government public relations) Case: Texas A&M and the Bonfire (Includes: media relations; internal communications; community relations) Chapter 8 Death and Injury 72 Case: Columbine High School and Shooting Tragedy (Includes: media relations; internal communications) Case: U.S. Postal Service and Workplace Violence (Includes: employee relations; community relations; labor relations; governmental public relations) Case: Metro Transit: Driver Shot; Bus Flies Off a Bridge (Includes: cooperation of communications professionals; media relations) Chapter 9 Consumer-Caused Crises 82 Case: Wendy's and the Finger in the Chili Hoax (Includes: media relations; consumer relations; working with law enforcement) Case: Pepsi and the Syringe in the Can (Includes: media relations to local and national news outlets; consumer relations) Case: Cellular Phones and the Cancer Scare (Includes: the non-expert expert; media relations; consumer relations; government relations) Chapter 10 The Crisis Communications Plan 91 (Includes: step-by-step directions for developing a crisis communications plan)