ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to describe aspects of crisis communication by public sector organizations, the distinctive features of their activities and the context of their operations need to be taken into account. One can identify key communication mistakes in a crisis. These include underestimating the risks entailed, refusing to communicate, denying or playing down facts, neglecting internal communication and attacking the media. Crisis communication – a specific sub-field of communication studies that deals with the dynamics involved in a crisis. In a globalized world, with international social and cultural exchanges as well as world trade, and with the speed of communications today, the likelihood of large circles of people feeling affected by a crisis is increasingly high. A feature of crisis communication is that control of the crisis shifts outside the organization. Communications can never be successful unless proportionate and appropriate relief and assistance are provided to people.
