Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
The Approach
Crisis Communication as a Field of Study
The Canadian Perspective

PART I: KEY CONCEPTS

1. Defining the Field
Crisis Definitions
The Problem of Crisis Definitions
Stages of Crisis
What's a Stakeholder?
Individuals and Organizations
What is the Role of Ethics in Crisis Communication?
Ethical Theory
The Importance of Trust

2. Crisis and Communities
An Alternative Definition
Discourse and Crisis Communication
Community and Crisis Communication
Political Communities
Organized Sports Communities
Entertainment Communities
Legitimacy

3. The Role of the Media in Constituting a Crisis
Mediated Society
Crisis and News Values
Effects of Agenda Setting on Crisis
Media Framing and Effects on Crisis
Ritual and Crisis
Crisis, Mass Media, and Social Media

PART II: PLANNING

4. Crisis Prevention
Preventative Planning and Building Positive Relationships
Crisis Prevention through Positive Organizational Cultures and Values
Reputations, Images, and Crisis Damage Prevention
Crisis Damage Limitation through Branding
Case: Animal Cruelty Allegations at Marineland
Case: Safety on a University Campus

5. Planning
Are Some Crises Unexpected?
Crisis Prevention through Effective Issues Management
Limiting the Impact of a Crisis by Developing Buffers
Crisis Management Plans to Deal with a Crisis if It Occurs
Assessing the Threat
Crisis Leadership and Spokespersons
Case: Royal Bank of Canada Sparks Foreign Worker Crisis
Case: Federal MP Uses Military Helicopter for Personal Trip

6. Business, Politics, Healthcare, and Science Crises
Business Crises
Political Crises
Healthcare and Science Crises
Case: Attacking the Customer over a Product Failure
Case: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and the Crack Cocaine Video

7. Sports, Entertainment, Social Media Crises
Sports Crises
Entertainment Crises
Social Media Crises
Case: A Baseball Player Uses a Homophobic Slur
Case: Radio Host Fired After Comments

PART III: RESPONSE

8. Four Tenets of Response
Openness
Regular Communication
Responding Quickly
Consistency and Coherence
Case: The BlackBerry Phone Outage of 2011
Case: A Listeria Outbreak at Maple Leaf Foods

9. Response Theory and Strategy
Situational Crisis Communication Theory
Image Repair Theory
Strategies
Apology—The King of Strategies?
Apology—Legal and Political Concerns
Combining Strategies
Quantification of Strategies
Case: Air Canada Breaks a Child's Wheelchair, Twitter Explodes
Case: City of Hamilton Public Relations Initiative Fails

10. Response Considerations
Communicating with the Mass Media
Channels—Old and New Media
Social Media Response Factors
Narrative and Storytelling
Getting Ahead and Attempting to Control the Narrative 
Dealing with Emotions
Direct Political Communication
Case: The Public Fall of Jian Ghomeshi
Case: Crib Recall after Child Deaths

PART IV: RECUPERATION

11. Evaluation and Application
The End is Nigh—Maybe
Renewal and Healing Theory
Legitimacy Regained
Learning
Objective Measurements
Channels and Spokesperson Review and Assessment
Issues Management Redux
Structural Change
Inquiries and Investigations
Rebuilding Image and Goodwill
Rebranding
Final Words

References
Index

About the Author

Duncan Koerber has taught media studies, communication theory, and writing at a number of universities in the Toronto area. His articles on media and journalism history, writing studies, and crisis communication have appeared in a number of journals including the Canadian Journal of Communication, Public Relations Review, the Journal of Canadian Studies, Journalism History, and the Canadian Journal of Media Studies.

Reviews

"Duncan Koerber offers a primer in crisis communication intended for a Canadian audience that is rich in both theory and practice. In addition to skilfully synthesizing the literature, he advances crisis communication theory by reconceptualising crisis communication as rooted in the discourse of communities. Woven into his discussion of theory are solid Canadian examples that professors, practitioners, and students can examine. This textbook is a welcome addition to the growing literature on communication in the Canadian context."--Sandra Braun, Mount Royal University