PapersFlow Research Brief
Public Relations and Crisis Communication
Research Guide
What is Public Relations and Crisis Communication?
Public Relations and Crisis Communication is the strategic use of communication principles, including social media, public relations, and dialogic approaches, to manage organizational responses during crises such as natural disasters, public health emergencies, and reputational threats.
This field encompasses 74,015 works focused on crisis communication strategies that leverage social media for stakeholder engagement and reputation protection. Research examines dialogic communication and risk communication in contexts like disaster management and emergency response. Key studies develop frameworks such as Situational Crisis Communication Theory to guide organizational actions during crises.
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Situational Crisis Communication Theory
Researchers study the development and application of Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) to match crisis response strategies with crisis types for reputation protection. This sub-topic examines empirical testing and refinements of SCCT across organizational crises.
Social Media in Crisis Communication
This sub-topic investigates how organizations leverage social media platforms for real-time crisis response, stakeholder engagement, and information dissemination during emergencies. Studies analyze platform-specific dynamics, virality, and misinformation challenges.
Image Repair Theory in Crises
Researchers explore Benoit's Image Repair Theory, focusing on rhetorical strategies like denial, evasion of responsibility, and mortification used by organizations post-crisis. Empirical analyses test strategy effectiveness across crisis contexts.
Risk Communication Strategies
This area covers the design and evaluation of risk communication messages to inform publics about potential hazards, emphasizing framing, uncertainty management, and audience tailoring in public health and disasters. Studies assess message impacts on behavior and perception.
Stakeholder Engagement in Crisis Management
Researchers examine dialogic and two-way communication approaches to engage diverse stakeholders during crises, including employees, communities, and regulators. Topics include relationship building, feedback loops, and long-term engagement outcomes.
Why It Matters
Public Relations and Crisis Communication directly affects organizational reputation during crises, as shown in "Protecting Organization Reputations During a Crisis: The Development and Application of Situational Crisis Communication Theory" where W. Timothy Coombs (2007) outlines Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) with 2515 citations, recommending response strategies matched to crisis type to minimize reputational damage. For instance, Coombs applies SCCT to cases like product recalls and accidents, demonstrating how denial or apology strategies preserve stakeholder trust. Similarly, "Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing, and Responding" by W. Timothy Coombs (1999, 2460 citations) provides a three-stage model—prevention, preparation, and response—for ongoing crisis plans, used in industries like corporate public relations and emergency management to structure communication before, during, and after events such as natural disasters.
Reading Guide
Where to Start
"Protecting Organization Reputations During a Crisis: The Development and Application of Situational Crisis Communication Theory" by W. Timothy Coombs (2007) serves as the starting point because it introduces the core SCCT framework with practical applications for matching responses to crisis types.
Key Papers Explained
W. Timothy Coombs's "Protecting Organization Reputations During a Crisis: The Development and Application of Situational Crisis Communication Theory" (2007, 2515 citations) establishes SCCT, which his earlier "Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing, and Responding" (1999, 2460 citations) complements by detailing a three-stage planning process. Dietram A. Scheufele's "Framing as a Theory of Media Effects" (1999, 3175 citations) and "Framing, Agenda Setting, and Priming: The Evolution of Three Media Effects Models" with David Tewksbury (2006, 2506 citations) provide media framing foundations that inform crisis message strategies in Coombs's models. Joseph B. Walther's "Computer-Mediated Communication" (1996, 4613 citations) connects by analyzing digital media's role in relational aspects of crisis dialogic communication.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Current research builds on SCCT and framing models to address social media's role in stakeholder engagement during public health and disaster crises, as indicated by the 74,015 works in the cluster. Gaps persist in adapting these for real-time misinformation, with no recent preprints available to specify emerging methods.
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling: Rigorous A... | 2013 | Long Range Planning | 4.8K | ✕ |
| 2 | Communication and Persuasion | 1986 | — | 4.8K | ✕ |
| 3 | Computer-Mediated Communication | 1996 | Communication Research | 4.6K | ✕ |
| 4 | Compliance, identification, and internalization three processe... | 1958 | Journal of Conflict Re... | 3.6K | ✕ |
| 5 | Framing as a Theory of Media Effects | 1999 | Journal of Communication | 3.2K | ✕ |
| 6 | Framing Theory | 2007 | Annual Review of Polit... | 2.8K | ✕ |
| 7 | Influence: the psychology of persuasion | 2007 | — | 2.6K | ✕ |
| 8 | Protecting Organization Reputations During a Crisis: The Devel... | 2007 | Corporate Reputation R... | 2.5K | ✓ |
| 9 | Framing, Agenda Setting, and Priming: The Evolution of Three M... | 2006 | Journal of Communication | 2.5K | ✕ |
| 10 | Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing, and Responding | 1999 | — | 2.5K | ✕ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Situational Crisis Communication Theory?
Situational Crisis Communication Theory, developed by W. Timothy Coombs in "Protecting Organization Reputations During a Crisis: The Development and Application of Situational Crisis Communication Theory" (2007, 2515 citations), matches crisis response strategies to crisis types to protect reputation. It categorizes crises by attribution of responsibility and recommends actions like denial for low-responsibility crises or mortification for high-responsibility ones. The theory guides public relations practitioners in selecting messages that maintain stakeholder support.
How does framing influence crisis communication?
"Framing as a Theory of Media Effects" by Dietram A. Scheufele (1999, 3175 citations) defines framing as a media effects process where problem definitions and solutions are constructed through communication. In crises, framing shapes public perception of responsibility and response efficacy. "Framing Theory" by Dennis Chong and James Druckman (2007, 2802 citations) models how frames in messages alter public opinion on crisis handling.
What role does social media play in crisis communication?
The field highlights social media's use in crisis communication for stakeholder engagement and emergency response, as per the cluster description covering natural disasters and public health crises. "Computer-Mediated Communication" by Joseph B. Walther (1996, 4613 citations) reviews how digital media affects interpersonal dynamics in crises. This enables real-time dialogic communication to manage reputation.
What are key processes in attitude change during crises?
"Compliance, identification, and internalization three processes of attitude change" by Herbert C. Kelman (1958, 3601 citations) identifies three mechanisms: compliance through public agreement, identification via role model attraction, and internalization of congruent beliefs. In public relations, these apply to persuasive messaging that builds stakeholder alignment during crises. Crisis communicators use them to foster supportive public responses.
How has the field of crisis communication evolved?
"Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing, and Responding" by W. Timothy Coombs (1999, 2460 citations) proposes a three-phase approach: prevention, preparation, and response. This builds on earlier persuasion research like "Communication and Persuasion" by Richard E. Petty and John T. Cacioppo (1986, 4831 citations). The evolution integrates social media for dialogic strategies in modern crises.
Open Research Questions
- ? How can Situational Crisis Communication Theory be adapted for social media-driven crises where misinformation spreads rapidly?
- ? What metrics best measure the long-term reputational impact of dialogic versus one-way communication in public health emergencies?
- ? In what ways do framing effects vary across cultural contexts in global disaster management?
- ? How do computer-mediated communication dynamics influence stakeholder identification during ongoing organizational crises?
Recent Trends
The field maintains 74,015 works with a focus on social media in crisis communication, but growth rate over 5 years is not available.
W. Timothy Coombs's highly cited works, such as "Protecting Organization Reputations During a Crisis: The Development and Application of Situational Crisis Communication Theory" (2007, 2515 citations) and "Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing, and Responding" (1999, 2460 citations), continue to anchor strategies amid rising emphasis on dialogic communication and reputation management.
No recent preprints or news coverage from the last 12 months indicate sustained reliance on established frameworks.
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