The IABC Handbook of Organizational Communication: A Guide to Internal Communication, Public Relations, Marketing, and Leadership

CHAPTER TWELVE

CRISIS COMMUNICATION

Moving From Tactical Response to Proactive Crisis Preparedness

Caroline Sapriel

Globalization, the interdependencies of systems and stakeholders, the increasing politicization of events and their developments, climate change, instant media coverage, and the viral social media scene are but a few of the key factors compounding the complexities of crisis management in the early twenty-first century. There have always been crises—political, diplomatic, business, and others—but when we consider the Toyota and BP crises of 2009–2010, we cannot but reflect that today, their scope and impact have changed.

We are witnessing increasing stakeholder outrage at corporate misbehavior, and hatred and blame across all ranks ...