PR 660 Chapter Notes - Chapter 15: Crisis Communication

• School: Ball State University
• Department: Public Relations
• Course: PR 660
• Professor: Becky McDonald

Document Summary

Image repair theory focuses on the messages of the crisis communication content. Image repair theory is more exhaustive of a theory than others. This gives five broad categories of strategies, with some sub-forms of strategies, that can be used to respond to threats of an image. Reduce offensiveness and corrective action are components of accusations, reducing offensiveness of the act to the accused. Denial and evasion concern rejecting or reducing the responsibility of the person or company accused of the act. The last, mortification, tries to restore image by asking for forgiveness without trying to reduce blame for the offensive act. This has two forms: simple denial and shift the blame. One strategy is to just deny their part in the wrongful act that has happened. This means that the firm admits the act happened, but says that another person or company is actually responsible for the offensive act.