Approaching Ethical Crisis Communication with Accuracy and Sensitivity: Exploring Common Ground and Gaps between Journalism and Public Relations

• Main Authors: Lucinda Austin, Yan Jin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Insitute for Public Relations 2015-04-01
• Series: Public Relations Journal
• Online Access: https://prjournal.instituteforpr.org/wp-content/uploads/2015v09n01AustinJin.pdf

Through 40 in-depth interviews with media professionals, this study explores: 1) how media professionals approach ethical crisis communication and stakeholder engagement and 2) media professionals’ views of organizational crisis communication. Findings revealed participants’ descriptions of ethical approaches, major ethical tenets they practiced, and levels of ethical obligations or guidance. Participants spoke of ethical approaches as rule-based, balanced or utilitarian, or situational. Most followed major ethical guidelines for crisis reporting, such as respect, objectivity/neutrality, sensitivity, empathy/compassion, accuracy, timeliness, verification of facts/sources, honesty, and transparency, with a strong focus on public interest. Participants mentioned obligations and guidance from their own moral compasses, organizations or newsrooms, schooling, professions, and communities and stakeholders. Findings indicate that crises represent unique situations for ethical communication and stakeholder engagement. Participants suggested that relationships with public relations professionals in times of crisis could be improved by receiving more complete, timely, and accurate information from organizations.