ABSTRACT
In terms of public relations, particularly crisis communication, it is widely accepted that there is an increased visibility of communication in the crisis response phase. Therefore, it is necessary to explore relevant communication theories to test for applicability and relevance. Griffin (2012) identifies five key concepts in communication theory: messages, the creation of them, the interpretation of them, the response to them and the concept of communication as a relational process. He goes on to highlight Deetz’s (1992) observation that all communication has two main priorities: efficacy and participation, with the former referring to successful communication, or more practically, messages reaching their intended destination, and the latter suggesting that these messages engender a response from their intended recipient. Interestingly, given what we have discussed about the current communication sphere and the notion of intercessory publics, a message (particularly during a crisis) may well reach audiences for which its content was unintended, and in doing so provoke unanticipated responses.
