Readings Week 2

Question 1

Tony Jaques: Key Points

Issue and crisis management: Quicksand in the definitional landscape

Answer 1

1. Harlow found 472 definitions of public relations from
   the academic literature in 1976, so don’t expect one,
   authoritative or widely agreed to definition of issue or
   issues management (IM).
2. Crisis management and issues management began as
   distinct activities… and both have “witnessed
   substantially evolving and expanding parameters and
   applications.”
3. The term issue management originated in 1976 when
   published in an article by Howard Chase.
4. Evolution of the two approaches to issues
   management: (1) public policy approach, and (2)
   internal process approach (chart p. 282).
5. Initial use of IM by corporations intended only to
   influence public policy (i.e. government policy).
6. Subsequent extension of use of IM to assist
   organizations with issues beyond government policy.
7. Heath (1997): “no definition of IM had yet achieved
   consensus.”
8. Crisis Management (or communication) also has no widely
   agreed to definition.
9. Crisis Management definitions also have two major
   categories: (1) crisis as an event, and (2) crisis as part of a
   process (see chart on p. 284).
10. Jaques states IM “may be structurally positioned” as
    (1) a PR/Communications unit function, or
    (2) PR/Communications “owning” the function and other
    parts of the organization “owning” the issue.

Question 2

What is crisis communication

Answer 2

IT FOCUSES ON MANAGING AND RESPONDING TO CRISES THAT THREATEN AN ORGANIZATION

Question 3

What is process approach

Answer 3

process approach views crisis management as part of a continuum, recognizing that crises follow a period of precognition

Question 4

What is event approach

Answer 4

An event approach primarily emphasizes incident response and reaction to sudden crises

Question 5

What are the issues management phases

Answer 5

Issue management phases include its structural framework, business discipline, and application in practice

Question 6

What are the crisis management phases

Answer 6

Crisis management phases encompass the reactive phase after a crisis, proactive preparation, and post-crisis evaluation

Question 7

What does quicksand mean in this article

Answer 7

Quick sand is a metaphor for the challenges and difficulties in defining and categorizing terms within the field of public relations