Internet-Based Communication in Crisis Management

Abstract

This article examines how organizations integrate the Internet into crisis communication. Results suggest four findings about Internet usage in crisis. First, a majority of the organizations studied are turning to the Internet to communicate with the public and the news media during a crisis. Second, organizational type does not appear to be a factor in the integration of the Internet in crisis response with financial organizations, new technology organizations, and consumer product organizations as the most frequent adopters. Third, crisis type does not appear to be a factor in an organization’s decision to use the Internet in its immediate crisis response. Fourth, although most organizations are incorporating both traditional and new media communication tactics into their responses to crisis, there is a continued preference for traditional tactics. These findings illustrate how mediated communication may create new possibilities for crisis response and are translated into suggestions for how managers can integrate new media into their mix of communication tactics in crisis management.