Theorizing Crisis Communication

Explore the major theories within crisis communication, fully revised and updated

Theorizing Crisis Communication provides a comprehensive and state-of-the-art review of both current and emerging theoretical frameworks designed to explain the development, management, and consequences of natural and human-caused crises. A critique of the many theoretical approaches of crisis communication, this volume provides readers with an in-depth understanding of the management, response, resolution, and significance of failures in corporate responsibility, as well as destructive global events such as pandemics, earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, chemical spills, and terrorist attacks.

This second edition contains new theories from related subfields and updated examples, references, and case examples. New chapters discuss metatheoretical considerations and theoretical advancements in the study of social media. Throughout the text, the authors highlight similarities, patterns, and relationships across different crisis types and offer insight into the application of theory in the real world. Integrating work from organizational studies, social sciences, public relations, and public health, this book:

• Covers a broad range of crisis communication theories, including those relevant to emergency response, risk management, ethics, resilience and crisis warning, development, and outcomes
• Presents theoretical frameworks based on research disciplines including sociology, psychology, applied anthropology, and criminal justice
• Provides clear and compelling examples of application of theory in contexts such as rhetoric, mass communication, social media, and warning systems
• Offers a systematic and accessible presentation of topics by explaining each theory, describing its applications, and discussing its advantages and drawbacks

Theorizing Crisis Communication, Second Edition, is the perfect textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of crisis and risk communication, and an importance reference for scholars, researchers, and practitioners in fields including crisis communication, emergency management, disaster studies, sociology, psychology, and anthropology.

Timothy L. Sellnow is a professor of strategic communication at the Nicholson School of Communication and Media at the University of Central Florida. Dr. Sellnow’s research focuses on risk and crisis communication. In addition to serving frequently as a corporate consultant, he has conducted funded research for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Matthew W. Seeger is Dean of the College of Fine, Performing, and Communication Arts and a Professor of Communication at Wayne State University, Michigan. His work on crisis, risk, and communication appears in over 200 journal articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings. Dr. Seeger is the author or co-author of eight books on crisis and risk communication. He has advised both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on crisis communication. His work has been cited by the New York Times, The Washington Post, and Rolling Stone.