week eight

Crisis occurs when issues are not well-managed, and this is up to the PR practitioner to revert the situation to the company's advantage. How the PR practitioner handles the situation will determine how the public will be receptive to the organisation, and thus determines the survival of the organisation.

The media provides PR practitioners with various channels to effectively transmit their ideas and perspectives to the public. The internet serves as the platform for organizations to communicate issues to the public and ensures that important information is always available to the public on its main website (Heath, 1998). PR practitioners have to be diligent and the alert for vile news about the organisation and be always prepared to handle critical situations. In addition, organizations are more successful when they are corporate socially responsible and are able to anticipate situations before they occur and be prepared for it, to meet the public demands (Buchholz, 1982; Heath, 1997).

According to Howell and Miller (2006), they indicated five phases of crisis life cycle and media coverage over time. At the first phase, the organisation experiences issues that can lead to a crisis, which can be avoided if carefully handled. Phase 2 indicates that crisis can be avoided through the use of the media to transmit message and information to the public to clarify the situation and allay their fears. At the next phase reflects an uncontained situation that has evolved into a crisis. PR practitioners have to be prepared to communicate through the various media outlets and explain the situation carefully and effectively, to do damage control. The forth phase indicates that when in face of lawsuits and complaints, the organisation has to reflect on its past activities, learn from them and adopt a different set of management techniques. Lastly, there is great need to clarify the situation with the public and explain future routes adopted by the organisation to alleviate their fears and start regaining their trust.

Public Relations theories serve as a guide for PR managers and practitioners in their decisions. According to Cutlip, Center & Broom (2007), the concept of ecology in Public Relations illustrates the need for people to change and adapt to their environment. The aim of the organisation is to create and accomplish goals that are beneficial to the organisation and the public. The first and foremost aim of a corporate company is to earn money, but at the same time, they need to be watchful that their factories are practicing ethical human laws and regulations and be mindful of their actions on the environment. Be it for the image and reputation for the organinisation, corporations are increasing required to exercise corporate social responsibility. Consumers can choose to shun from goods and services that are produced by unethical companies. For example, consumers can choose to only buy Tuna from brands like Heinz and Fairprice, which pledges to protect the dolphins when they are catching tuna. Reputation is very important for organisations and companies as it reflects on their credibility and reliability.

with love,
cookie biscuit.
(\__/)
(='.'=) V