
116 ◾ Brooke Fisher Liu and Abbey Blake Levenshus
Table6.4 Crisis Response Strategies
Category Strategy Description Example
Deny Attack the
accuser
Confront a person/
group that claims a
crisis is occurring
when
communicators do
not think a crisis is
occurring
A government
executive makes an
off-color remark and a
communicator states
that a person or group
is overstating the
remark’s severity and
implications
Denial State that a crisis
does not exist
Media claim a
depression is
occurring, but the
government does not
think the economy is
in such poor state
Scapegoating State that someone
else is responsible
for a crisis
Local government
execu