The article highlights the importance of organizations taking advantage of new media to handle crisis situations. Taylor and Kent (2007) point out how effective the appropriate use of the internet can assist an organization in dealing with a crisis. Their points are based on research of mediated communication and their analysis of over 100 crisis responses, conducted over a period of 7 years, from 1998-2005. Based on the findings of successful outcomes, Taylor and Kent (2007) have listed the following taxonomy for mediated communication:
Best practice #1: upload traditional tactics to the Web site
Best practice #2: integrating innovative tactics
Best practice #3: reducing uncertainty during product recalls
Best practice #4: create different Web pages for different stakeholders
Best practice #5: work with government agencies during the crisis
“Organizations can write as much as they want with no editing by the media, and they can provide supporting materials such as pictures, documents, speeches, interviews, white papers, fact sheets, and news releases to support their arguments and explanations.” (Taylor & Kent, 2007) I think this one sentence helps sum up the entire article. During a crisis, being able to handle the situation and recover quickly is a true test of P.R skill. In addition to being able to think-on-your-feet, being prepared before a crisis can even be on the radar is extremely vital. This will ensure that strategies and tactics to deal with the crisis are already drawn up and when the crisis actually happens, all that is required is execution of the tactics.
The most important point made in this article is that the internet has revolutionized the way the corporate world functions. Before, organizations were at the mercy of the media. The media could interpret the situation as they sought fit. However, now with the internet, the organization gets to explain their side of the story, without any media filters. In this way, the organization can deal with the crisis in a timely, effective and inexpensive manner.
Bibliography:
Taylor, M., & L.Kent, M. (2007). Taxonomy of mediated crisis responses. Public Relations Review , 33 (2), 140-146.
Aida:
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree that the Internet is a powerful tool in reaching out to the masses within a short span of time, which is essential especially in dealing with situations such as a crisis. Without the Internet and the connectivity that comes along with it, disseminating information would be time consuming and require more resources than needed, particularly if the product is being consumed all over the world.
Indeed the Internet is a very powerful tool. An organization with a website has much control of what they want the public to know. The public will believe sources from an official website than from certain media sources. However if the organization is not transparent about certain issues that the public has the right to know, the media can be the "hawk" and report on it.
ReplyDeleteThe internet has certainly helped to revolutionize the way people communicate nowadays. As such, it is definitely a very important tool in carrying our public relations. The internet allows people from all over the globe to access the information at the same time and thus creates better communication. This thus enables organisations to bridge communication instantly once a crisis occurs, which is a very important factor in handling crisis as it allows organisations to promptly provide explanations.
ReplyDelete“Organizations can write as much as they want with no editing by the media, and they can provide supporting materials such as pictures, documents, speeches, interviews, white papers, fact sheets, and news releases to support their arguments and explanations.” (Taylor & Kent, 2007)
ReplyDeleteFrom the above statement, it is safe to say that the use of internet to mediate crisis allows the company the hassle of going through the media, and prevents any biased views from being directed at them. Although that does not prevent the media from making comments against the company, it does give them the opportunity to handle crisis more efficiently.
However, technology alone cannot solve all the problems, and it is importantly for the company to formulate a suitable PR plan in order to rectify the issues at hand. Internet may be a efficient tool for the company, but its reputation can be lost just as fast if the situation gets out of hand.