Independent Study: Crisis Communication
JOUR 4830-001 (S2014)
Dr. Erin Willis (Follow me on Twitter @enwillis)
Office: Meeman #328
Office hours: Tuesdays 1-5 p.m., or by appointment
Phone: (901) 678-2404
Cell: (417) 593-1005
e-mail: enwillis@memphis.edu
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
CATALOGUE/COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Directed independent study and research, or practicum, or project under supervision.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
 demonstrate an understanding of the key concepts and approaches for effectively
managing crises in organizations;
 be able to explain the role of issues management, risk management, and relationship
management in crisis prevention;
 demonstrate the ability to construct a crisis management plan; and
 demonstrate the ability to assess the information needs and resources of a crisis situation
through analysis of case studies and other crisis scenarios.
PREREQUISITES:
Permission of instructor
TEXTBOOKS:
No textbooks required. Readings will be provided via email or Dropbox.
CLASSROOM FORMAT:
Due to the nature of this course, the student and instructor will not engage in formal class periods,
but instead, will meet twice per month. Assignments and readings are due according to the
schedule.
DEADLINES:
Understanding and working with deadlines is a critical part of the public relations process. No
late assignments will be accepted.
GRADING:
Testing and Assignment Procedures: Course work will be accomplished every week. There
will be writing assignments, exams and a final project. Each must be completed by its due date
and time, which varies by assignment and test.
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Homework assignments
Midterm exam
Journal article review
Crisis comm. plan
Total points
4 assignments total
25 points each
100 points
50 points each
200 points
500 points
and presentation
COURSE SCHEDULE
Wed., Jan. 22
Welcome!
Week of Jan. 27
What is a crisis?
Course introduction,
expectations, important
deadlines
Why is crisis management
important for PR
professionals?
Readings: (1) “PR crisis
management” and (2)
“Defining crisis
communication”
Week of Feb. 3
Week of Feb. 10
Week of Feb. 17
Approaches to crisis
communication
Homework: The rumor mill
Readings: (1) “Best practices
in crisis communication” and
(2) “Image repair discourse
and crisis communication” –
Benoit (1997) Public
Relations Review, 23(2), 177186.
Due by midnight Friday,
February 7
Crisis prevention
Readings: (1) “Crisis and
emergency risk
communication” and (2)
“Managing competition and
conflict”
Schedule a meeting with Dr.
Willis this week
The role of issues and risk
management
Homework: Risk
communication
Readings: (1) “A need for
more crisis management,” (2)
“Understanding issues and
Due by midnight Friday,
February 21
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crises,” and (3) “Guidelines
for measuring relationships”
Week of Feb. 24
Crisis preparation, planning
Readings: (1) “A study of PR
practitioners’ use” and (2)
“Crisis preparation, part II”
Week of March 3
Leadership and
organizational culture
Homework: News coverage
of a crisis
Readings: (1) “Analysis of the
image repair discourse
(Michael Phelps)” and (2)
“BP initial image repair”
Due by midnight Friday,
March 7
Week of March 10
Spring break
Week of March 17
Traditional and new media
communication channels
Readings: (1) “Social media in
crisis” and (2) “An updated
look”
Week of March 24
Schedule a meeting with Dr.
Willis this week
Homework: Analysis using
Image Repair Discourse
Model
Due by midnight Friday,
March 21
Review of readings and crisis
communication concepts
Schedule a meeting with Dr.
Willis this week
Week of March 31
Final project assignment
Week of April 7
Work on crisis communication
plan for the University of
Memphis football team
Week of April 14
Work on crisis communication
plan for the University of
Memphis football team
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Mid-term exam
Week of April 21
Rough draft of crisis
communication plan due
Journal reviews must be
completed by April 25.
Schedule a meeting with Dr.
Willis this week
Week of April 28
Revise crisis communication
plan; prepare for final
presentation
Wednesday, May 7
Final presentation
PR Campaigns final
presentations
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
The rumor mill – find an Internet rumor, hoax or legend that could be damaging to an organization.
Investigate the website and the rumor. Decide how dangerous it really is to the particular organization
and explain what you would do to combat it.
Prepare a 2-3 page paper (12-point, Times New Roman, double-spaced) about the rumor site and your
recommendation and plans to battle the rumor. This assignment is due by midnight Friday, Feb. 7.
Risk communication – choose a risk communication situation and assess the communication.
Using information about the risk that you obtain from objective, credible sources, you will
summarize the real potential risk, and then assess how well it is communicated in news stories.
Prepare a 2-3 page paper (12-point, Times New Roman, double-spaced) assessing the
communication about the risk. This assignment is due by midnight Friday, Feb. 21.
News coverage of a crisis – select and analyze a current (within the past three years)
organizational crisis (international or national) by analyzing news coverage of the crisis (3-5
news sources is sufficient). Your analysis can focus on how the organization prepared for the
crisis, responded to the crisis, and/or recovered from the crisis.
Write a 2-3 page (12-point, Times New Roman, double-spaced) analysis of the crisis as portrayed
in the news media. Your analysis should include background of the crisis, background on the
organization, and an analysis of the organization’s preparation for, response to, and recovery from
the crisis. This assignment is due by midnight, Friday, March 7.
Analysis using Image Repair Discourse Model – using a template of Benoit’s “Image Repair
Discourse Model,” research and analyze a public relations/communication crisis that occurred in
the past five years.
Prepare a 2-3 page paper (12-point, Times New Roman, double-spaced) detailing the analysis.
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This assignment is due by midnight, Friday, March 21.
JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW
Reynolds, B., & Quinn, S. (2008). Effective communication during an influenza pandemic: The
value of using a crisis and emergency risk communication framework. Health Promotion
Practice, 9, 13S-19S.
Robertson, J. (2012). Tell it all?: Challenging crisis communications’ rules. Public Relations
Journal, 6(1).
Write a 3-page (12-point, Times New Roman, double-spaced) critique of each of the above
articles. First, describe the thesis or purpose of the paper (approx. 1 page), and then critique the
author’s argument. Think about the article in terms of University of Memphis football and how
(or if) it might apply.
There is no specific deadline for these reviews, but both must be completed by Friday, April 25.
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