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Economic viability is a key factor to sustainability for agritourism operations. A variety of challenges, including issues and crises can hinder whether an operation is open, economically viable, and sustainable. A crisis communications plan can help address and minimize any negative business impacts from weather, climate, or inherent risk, therefore, helping maintain the operation's economic viability. Although many agritourism operators have experience responding to an issue or crisis, including the pandemic, many still lack communications plans, and while this is also a problem in other sectors, agritourism operations with plans have increased sustainability potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic viability is a key factor to sustainability for agritourism operations. A variety of challenges, including issues and crises can hinder whether an operation is open, economically viable, and sustainable. A crisis communications plan can help address and minimize any negative business impacts from weather, climate, or inherent risk, therefore, helping maintain the operation's economic viability. Although many agritourism operators have experience responding to an issue or crisis, including the pandemic, many still lack communications plans, and while this is also a problem in other sectors, agritourism operations with plans have increased sustainability potential.

This article analyzes the crisis communication tools used by local authorities before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, during the pandemic, and following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and the subsequent introduction of martial law. The focus is on using media technologies in communication with residents of the capital to manage the crises stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, using the Kyiv City State Administration’s crisis communication as a case study. The study identifies the media technologies and platforms employed by the Kyiv City State Administration during this period. It traces shifts in priority media technologies after the outbreak, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine while also analyzing the quantitative audience dynamics on the Administration’s media platforms. Specific examples are presented and analyzed. The use of observation methods, systematic analysis of official press releases and public statements, and comparative analysis of official reports from the Kyiv City State Administration enable us to track the evolution of media technologies in the crisis communication of the Kyiv city government. It is noted that as the nature of the crises evolved, not only did the media technologies used for communication between residents and the city government of Kyiv change, but so did the content of the messages. It is established that emergencies have shaped a specific toolkit for communicative interaction between the Kyiv City State Administration and the residents of Kyiv. In particular, in crisis conditions, the city authorities adopted a direct approach to information dissemination through media platforms, providing rapid and reliable information that has contributed to safeguarding the lives and health of citizens.

Communication management is critical in promoting products and services in an environment of volatility. It involves creating effective communication strategies to reach the target audience and provide them with the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions. The research aims to study communication management strategies and identify the most effective ones to ensure the full-fledged operation of an organization in negative conditions of its activity. The research methodology comprises general scientific (analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction) and special (abstraction, concretization, comparison) methods. The results analyze and systematize potential risks for companies in the process of promoting goods and services under conditions of uncertainty and also offer practical recommendations for minimizing risks. It was revealed that the main practical directions in managing communications in conditions of instability are the creation and/or strengthening of a strong company brand, the use of digital marketing, as well as crisis communication strategies. It is noted that, in general, the promotion of goods and services in conditions of instability is a complex and responsible task that requires a comprehensive and evidence-based approach. Relying on scientific reflection and a comprehensive study of the causes of instability, as well as effective communication and interaction strategies, it is possible not only to promote goods and services in an environment of instability but also to shape a more stable and sustainable future for the company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apologies represent a common strategy to respond to crises or product/service failures. In five experiments, involving different failures, we show that projecting lower competence in a specific, non-core domain of activity provides a significant boost to apology effectiveness. A projection of lower competence, operationalized as a lack of skills or expertise required to effectively execute a specific task, increases the perceived costliness of the apology because the organization accepts a symbolic cost. Perceived costliness, in turn, increases the perceived sincerity of the apology and leads to more favorable responses. This strategy, however, is effective only under certain circumstances and can backfire if misapplied. First, organizations might project lower competence only when stakeholders have no other reason to question their competence. Second, projecting lower competence is effective only when the failure is not relevant to the core business. Finally, the strategy is not effective for consumers with low communal relationship orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Many institutions publish marketing content on their own pages on social media sites regularly and monitor them constantly and are ready to interact with customers, and marketing on social media is characterized by flexibility where the organization can modify its marketing strategies at any time, in contrast to traditional marketing methods such as television Newspapers, which are usually scheduled at least several months in advance, and this feature is very useful, especially at the time of a crisis where advertising messages can change at the same moment the crisis occurs, which helps to speed up the response of the public and its understanding of the events of the crisis.Because of the enormous development of the Internet, the social media changed pattern of spread in crisis, events and the audience participation. Making the rise of new challenges for crisis management institutions in order to maintain its positive image . Where the audience depends on the social media to share their experiences in dealing with crises, and communicate with inner feelings such as worry and fear, And actively search for all the information about the crisis. Social media is an important source to detect signals of possibility crises, a useful tool for monitoring public opinion.Audience exposure of crisis on social media aggravates the negative impact of crisis, Of course, it affects on brand and future sales of institution. When an organization or brand faces a crisis, social media can be the most effective platforms to spread position and organization's vision of the crisis, It has become important to use it to gain Audience sympathy and their support. The institution must determine the appropriate strategy for crisis management, Consider consumer attitudes towards the crisis. If the institution wants to get out of the crisis with big profits, it must use advertising as a fast and effective communication tool to help enhance its reputation and positive image among consumers, so as to overcome the negative events of the crisis and stand out from it strong without any losses.

Poland is one of the most Catholic countries in the world. 33 million out of its 38 million people (92.9% of its population) declare themselves to be Roman Catholic. Church initiatives for the needy, whether poor or immigrants, are everywhere. The Church is a robust and influential institution, strengthened by the pontificate of the Polish Pope, John Paul II, who is considered not only a saint but also a national hero. In many aspects, Poles could be put as an example for Catholics in other countries. But there is an issue in which the Church is not at the vanguard: the fight against sexual abuse. Recent cases have eroded the solid trust Polish people put in their Church. More recently, the documentary Tell No One, released in two parts in May 2019 and May 2020, was a turning point, and the confidence in the institution visibly plummeted. This case study tells the recent story of the issue of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy in Poland, its lights and its shadows. The paper ends with some suggestions for a trust recovery strategy, as recommendations for both Church authorities and their communication offices.

Not a single organization is immune to crisis. Negligent handling of regulations and standards, misprotection of personal information, mistakes in care and treatment, financial resources frauds, non-compliance with operational and technical processes, or hygiene scandals are just some of the issues that can turn into a crisis. In addition to the universal risks, the emotionally charged topic of healthcare, combined with the importance of healthcare facilities as trustworthy institutions, turns hospital mistakes into events of high news value. This article provides tips and ideas for developing practical communication activities in times of crisis, including answers to the question of what a medical institution can do to be better prepared when a crisis occurs and how to reduce physical, psychological, and emotional stress on the staff and patients.

Topography and dynamics of real networks' enable network agents to alter their functional behavior. Theoretical and analytical advancements in network science have furthered our understanding of the effects of social network characteristics on peer influence and engagement. Influence of social network occurs when network players alter their decisions and behavior based on others’ influence in the social network which is evident in different disciplines. Crisis communication networks have significant impact during disasters as people often spread pertinent information in social media due to presence of limited access to conventional information sources. Existing researches in social science and sociology indicate that social networks benefit spreading warning message and disseminate information about an imminent risk, nevertheless, the existing studies do not provide enough understanding on how to quantify such influences and how this map into decision-making during emergency evacuations. This study provides a robust review of the studies exploring how individuals are socially influenced, both on-line and off-line, while communicating risk during extreme weather events such as hurricanes. The scope of this review primarily includes studies that look into how our social networks influence the way we decide to evacuate and how crisis information spread from one agent to another agent in a network. The insights and findings obtained through this comprehensive review will be useful to diverse set of stakeholders such as emergency managers, planners, policy makers and practitioners. These include identifying and implementing targeted strategies for different groups of people in similar crisis events based on their social network properties, interactions, and activities.

During the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, U.S. environmental organizations and U.S. chapters of international environmental organizations grappled with a broad set of challenges, including when and what to communicate to supporters. In the winter and early spring of 2020, environmental organizations became crisis communicators, confronted by time pressures and the limited attention spans of audiences beset by the pandemic. Crafting communications that are concise and factual, compassionate, that instill confidence, and that evince organizational competence are important facets of crisis communications. However, environmental organizations faced the additional challenge of ensuring that their own priorities were presented clearly and persuasively amidst the flood of pandemic-related information. Responding to the Covid-19 pandemic, and preparation for future pandemics, force environmental organizations to amend their crisis communications to underscore their relevance to crises and their role in problem-solving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined emergency service student use of wiki in an assignment to develop guidelines for preparing crisis communication plans in an online class. As a form of course evaluation, students were asked to respond to five questions about their experience in using wiki. Conclusions were drawn about the practicality of using wiki in teaching online. Students affirmed that collaboration leads to learning and knowledge acquisition. By engaging in collaboration, learners observe and improve upon weaknesses or gaps in learning. Students learn from each other by examining and improving the work of others. Students also viewed that using wikis to develop documents is a valuable skill to take into the workplace. A number of barriers exist that make using wiki in online teaching more challenging. It is more difficult to monitor and correct student actions online than in a face-to-face classroom. Most students hesitate to edit and change other student writing and so incentives need to be used to get students to edit each other’s work. Students should receive an orientation where they learn the purpose and benefits of wikis and receive instruction on how to use wikis. The study confirms much of the research on the topic of using wikis as a learning strategy. Also, the study shows that process is as important to learning as is outcome. Learning to use wiki is as important as producing a final document.

The paper reviews crisis communications as the main marketing instrument of corporate anti-crisis management in its operational practice affected by the global oversupply of generic products, free access to data bases and availability of equal technical feasibility of competing agents, which lays special emphasis on intangible assets whose monetary value is proportionate to the quality of external corporate communications. Combining the mechanisms of anti-crisis management, public relations technologies, communication technologies and risk-management techniques in the modern volatile environment, crisis communication management is a generalized instrument which naturally creates the value of intangible assets, hence the company’s goodwill. The article presents the examples of successful use of crisis communications for the increase of their own capitalization by investment and financial organizations, telecommunications companies, internet providers and software developers, i. e. companies specializing in non-tangible assets and relying on the efficient use of crisis communications.

Poland is one of the most Catholic countries in the world. 33 million out of its 38 million people (92.9% of its population) declare themselves to be Roman Catholic. Church initiatives for the needy, whether poor or immigrants, are everywhere. The Church is a robust and influential institution, strengthened by the pontificate of the Polish Pope, John Paul II, who is considered not only a saint but also a national hero. In many aspects, Poles could be put as an example for Catholics in other countries. But there is an issue in which the Church is not at the vanguard: the fight against sexual abuse. Recent cases have eroded the solid trust Polish people put in their Church. More recently, the documentary Tell No One, released in two parts in May 2019 and May 2020, was a turning point, and the confidence in the institution visibly plummeted. This case study tells the recent story of the issue of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy in Poland, its lights and its shadows. The paper ends with some suggestions for a trust recovery strategy, as recommendations for both Church authorities and their communication offices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Once a firm has been accused of ethical wrongdoing, a key issue lies in regaining the trust of stakeholders. This study extends the application of the Situational Crisis Communication Theory and explores the effectiveness of accounts designed to diminish perceptions of culpability offered by organizations in response to allegations of ethical wrongdoing. Study 1 examines the impact of the linguistic style of the account—consultative versus formal—and the magnitude of harm involved in the allegation on observers in the United States. Results indicate that consultative accounts are more effective than formal accounts and that both styles of account are less effective following an allegation involving greater harm. Study 2 examines the effectiveness of consultative versus formal accounts in India and China using the same scenario and accounts as in Study 1. Results show that India exhibits somewhat similar results to the US, while China does not (the consultative account is not superior to a formal account). Implications of this study suggest that managers seeking to preserve their firm's reputation following an allegation should consider the linguistic style of their response as well as its content. These findings also suggest numerous avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How an agricultural organization handles the way the media reports a crisis can have an impact on the public's perceptions of the organization, and sometimes the industry as a whole. The popularity of social media outlets as a venue for disseminating and gathering information and news makes the use of social media surrounding agricultural crises an important topic to investigate (Glynn, Huge, & Hoffman 2012; Hermida, 2010). A qualitative case study was conducted to investigate the use of social media tools during an agricultural crisis. The participants - communications directors, social media managers, and individuals with a close connection to the crisis under study - reported that social media was a major component of their communication efforts surrounding each crisis. Participants felt social media was very effective in these situations and had a major impact on their communication efforts. Although no participants reported using a structured social media strategy or crisis communication plan, they stated a need for such guidelines in the agricultural industry. From the data analyzed in this study, a model for using social media during a crisis situation, aimed specifically for use by those in the agricultural industry, was developed. This project was funded through the USDA's Beginning Farmers & Ranchers Project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing from a blame narrative approach to apologic crisis management (Hearit, 2021; Seeger and Sellnow, 2016), and informed by Image Repair Theory (Benoit, 2015), this study explores Southwest Airlines defensive strategies during a 5-day period in October 2021 when it was forced to cancel more than 2200 flights and delay several hundred others leaving stranded, angry customers at airports around the United States. The current study begins by identifying specific message strategies used by the airlines and then describes how Southwest's apologiae blended to form three primary counter narratives that attempted to shift its role from antagonist to protagonist: 1) Southwest was the victim of poor decisions made by the FAA, 2) the company and its CEO were heroes engaged in an effort to protect its hard-working employees and preserve their jobs, and 3) that it had actually handled the crisis well under the circumstances. This essay argues, however, that because Southwest did not initially accept responsibility for the cancellations, relied on justifications that were easily refuted, and then failed to propose corrective actions while expressing only regrets for the inconveniences it had created, its counter narratives were inconsistent with public expectations and, as a result, lacked empathetic narrative fidelity. • Utilizes a blame narrative approach to analyze Southwest 's justificatory accounts offered during a cancellation crisis. • Confirms the value of a narrative approach to the study of apologetic crisis management. • Demonstrates the critical role of mortification and atonement in creating narrative fidelity. • Reveals how strategies that include victimization, bolstering and minimization can undermine narrative fidelity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This historical study examines the actions of the Australian former asbestos company, James Hardie, when faced with a potentially ruinous corporate scandal between 2001 and 2007. The company became vilified as public awareness grew of the damage to public health its use of asbestos had caused. In response, it set-up a knowingly underfunded compensation fund supported by a strategy of misinformation and denial. Its actions are analysed using Oliver's typology of strategic responses and theories of crisis management and crisis communications, providing insights into the company's motivations for adopting strategies that took it to the brink of financial collapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the current gap in international crisis communications literature by introducing principles of social identity theory into the existing body of crisis communications theory. Hypotheses were tested via an experimental examination of attribution, feelings of empathy, and organization evaluation in several scenarios. Analysis revealed that organizational nationality can offer some level of reputational protection but crisis location does not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Michael Vick ultimately succeeded in repairing his image, starting with his apology in 2007. [•] Vick chose the appropriate strategies of mortification and corrective action, but he did not fully develop the corrective action strategy. [•] The paper explores Vick's strategic use of the third person and appeals to a supernatural being and the theoretical implications of these choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The article discusses the ramifications for corporate reputation of the current concerns about consumer data privacy in order to identify potential risks and benefits for corporations in their relations with consumers and other stakeholders.Design/methodology/approach – The article discusses the ramifications for corporate reputation of the current concerns about consumer data privacy in order to identify potential risks and benefits for corporations in their relations with consumers and other stakeholders.Findings – This review suggests that there are indeed significant concerns for corporations about how consumers feel about corporate use of personal and, in particular, behavioral data. However, there are steps that corporations can take to demonstrate their commitment to data privacy that can mitigate potential reputational damage and even strengthen their image with consumers and other stakeholders.Originality/value – Data privacy as a reputation asset has been little discussed in the literature to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We combined best practices from public relations with value modeling to construct a model for identifying “good” social media crisis messages. [•] As a proof of concept, the resulting model was tested against social media crisis messages collected during the Hurricane Irene crisis. [•] Top-ranked social media updates shared a number of attributes, including links to further information, use of strong voice, and multimedia. [•] A set of best practices was proposed based on the value model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: When addressing community engagement and outreach, North American carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects have parameters unique to the continent, including the history of CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR), which goes back over 40 years in some jurisdictions and, aligned with this, the use of landmen and one-on-one dialogue with landowners and community residents that are well versed in oilfield technologies. These variables alone are in marked contrast to the CCS experiences of many global projects, which do not have the tradition of engaging in one-on-one discussion. Even where CCS projects have conducted extensive public consultation and education, significant opposition has shut down some, and put in jeopardy others, in a manner that contradicts the North American hydrocarbon experience. With the increase in North America of integrated CCS projects that go beyond CO2-EOR, a change in community engagement strategies has taken place under the unique auspices of the United States Department of Energy's (US DOE) Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships Initiative (RCSP). Part of the planning in each of these seven geographic regions includes significant public education, outreach, and communications programs, particularly in areas unfamiliar with injection and storage technologies (i.e., outside of traditional oil producing areas). The bringing together of different demonstration projects’ participants – not just nationally within the US but including projects in Western Canada – has allowed for the sharing of best practices between projects and across international jurisdictions. Such sharing is particularly true where the development of community engagement guidelines and strategies are concerned. The publication in 2010 of the US DOE's Best Practices for Public Outreach and Education for Carbon Storage Projects is one example where the experiences of several United States demonstration projects were brought to bear on developing communications guidelines, which in turn were used to help develop public outreach strategies for such projects as Aquistore in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada [1]. Another example of such international information sharing is the World Resources Institute's Guidelines for Community Engagement in Carbon Dioxide Capture, Transport, and Storage Projects where, over a period of a year and a half, international experts were brought together for round table discussions to form the basis of the guidelines and provide an international peer review [2]. More recently, the development of an emergency response plan for the Illinois Basin – Decatur Project, led by the Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium, one of the RCSP partnerships, drew upon this international collaborative structure, employing the experience of communicators from Schlumberger Carbon Services, the Petroleum Technology Research Centre (managers of the IEAGHG Weyburn- Midale CO2 Monitoring and Storage Project) and the Illinois State Geological Survey to develop a map of potential crisis points. This planning process brought together the lessons learned from various projects, risk assessments, media experiences, and best practices to help identify potential risks for the project (a list of events and scenarios) with the goal of creating response paths and directions for the management of risks and the mitigation of potential threats. These scenarios involved not only potential external issues – such as leakage or pipeline failure – but also addressed management issues internal to a project such as loss of key personnel or loss of funding. The development of this emergency response plan is an example to other projects of the value of interconnecting communications experiences between projects, and of identifying common high-risk scenarios that require advanced response planning. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The rapid growth of social media challenges crisis communicators to disseminate safety messages to affected audiences quickly and in a manner that promotes maximum compliance. A nationally representative consumer panel responded to food recall messages that varied in source (organizational or user-generated) and reliability (confirmed versus unconfirmed). Results indicated that intent to comply with a food recall message was stronger in response to organizational messages than to user-generated messages, but did not vary according to message reliability. Strong age cohort effects were seen in the responses to message source, with younger participants making less distinction than older cohorts between organizational and user-generated sources. Implications of the results for public relations and crisis communications theory and practice, limitations of the study, and recommendations for future research were discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The rapidly increasing crisis in the Ukrainian society presents the problem of analysing the concept of crisis communication. Topics which relate to risks and threats to life, health and well-being of the citizens, attract great attention from the public. However, the existing forms of communication, in most cases, are not professionally argumentative or reliable forms of communication. This impedes the making of reasonable and constructive risk assessments by the community. Many public agencies make risk assessments using different criteria-this generates additional obstacles to efficient risk regulation and significantly decreases public confidence in the state authorities. The aim of this article is one of the first attempts to analyse the foreign practice of risk communication in the Ukrainian scientific literature. With analytical and comparative methods of research, a systematisation of developments by foreign investigators is shown, and an original definition of risk communication is proposed. Modern trends and areas of research are taken into account, including the generation of risks caused by the intervention of people in environmental and technological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Product recall communications with consumers is an important yet under-researched area of crisis management. This study examines whether applying regulatory focus theory in product recall communications can help companies involved in a product recall. This study examines the issue with a product recall message related to laptop computers. We find that creating regulatory fit through the product recall message increases intentions to comply with a product recall request, however future purchase intentions are also adversely impacted. We believe that the benefits of increased compliance greatly outweigh the small decrease in future purchase intentions, and companies should seriously consider incorporating regulatory focus theory in their product recall communications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As a consequence of various terrorist attacks on U.S. soil the vulnerability of American agriculture to an agro-terrorist attack has come into question. The objective of this paper is to view the threat of agroterrorism through the lens of uncertainty reduction theory and extend the original application of the theory from the realm of interpersonal communication to the mass communication level. We offer a brief overview of bioterrorism and agriculture and the general concepts of crisis communication and pre-crisis preparedness. We explain the relationship between the level of uncertainty and organizational crisis with the value of pre-crisis planning efforts. We show the importance of the agricultural communicator as a source of agricultural knowledge in the pre-crisis stage, which can contribute to reducing uncertainty following an agro-terrorist event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this statewide study was to determine preferences for the sources of information beef producers in Oklahoma use and trust when they seek information about agriculture during a crisis. Participants in this study were randomly selected from a population of 48,000 beef producers in the Oklahoma. All 470 respondents completed a telephone survey conducted by the Oklahoma Agricultural Statistics Service (OASS). Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and cross tabulations were used to analyze the data. Producers preferred their veterinarians when seeking information about animal health issues and any agriculturally related crisis; and preferred to receive information through county extension publications. They also perceived the local veterinarian as the most trusted and reliable source of information available. The Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service, through the county extension agents and the local area livestock specialists, and the USDA were also trustworthy and reliable sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, public relations practitioners balanced accommodating their publics and advocating for their organization. Interviews conducted with public relations practitioners in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana, revealed that they primarily focused on accommodating their publics. The experiences of public relations practitioners during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita trigger several suggestions for practitioners preparing for potential crises. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]