Public Relations and Crisis Communication

Crisis communication research examines how organizations, governments, and institutions convey information during emergencies, scandals, and disasters, and how those messages shape public trust and behavior. As social media has become a primary channel for both official announcements and public reaction, scholars are working to understand how platforms like Twitter and Facebook alter the speed, accuracy, and reach of crisis messaging—and how they complicate traditional top-down models of public relations. A central open question is how organizations can move beyond broadcasting updates toward genuine two-way dialogue with affected stakeholders, particularly in fast-moving situations where information is incomplete. Researchers are also examining how the reputational damage from a crisis can be mitigated or worsened by communication choices made in the first hours, and what lessons from natural disaster response might translate to public health emergencies or corporate crises.

Works

83,638

Total citations

540,898

Keywords

Crisis CommunicationSocial MediaPublic RelationsDisaster ManagementStakeholder EngagementEmergency Response