The Challenge of Exemplification in Crisis Communication

This case study characterizes the crisis communication challenges and potential response strategies of organizations facing crises of perception created by media exemplars. Exemplars are created through repeated news stories made memorable by highly vivid language, shocking visual materials, and evocative personal testimonies. ABC’s portrayal of Lean Finely Textured Beef as “pink slime” is provided as a case for analysis. The study concludes that organizations responding to crises of perception are at an extreme disadvantage when their standard operating procedures are portrayed negatively as exemplars. In addition, stigmatization increases an organization’s susceptibility to exemplars. Finally, appeals to neutral parties have the potential to bring some degree of added credibility to organizations responding to crises of perceptions caused by exemplars

Isoniazid resistance in <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i>

Drug resistant tuberculosis (TB) is increasing worldwide and it is now estimated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that 7% of TB cases globally are resistant to isoniazid (INH). INH is a key drug for the treatment of TB, alongside rifampicin (RIF). Understanding factors which influence the emergence and propagation of INH resistance and the influence of INH resistance on TB treatment success are vital in improving global TB control efforts. Vietnam is ranked 12th of 22 high burden countries for TB and has a high prevalence of INH resistance (25%) with a relatively modest prevalence of TB resistant to both INH and RIF (multi-drug resistant, MDR TB) (2.7%). The first study in this thesis developed rapid screening tests for both RIF and INH resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates which showed high accuracy. The specificity and the sensitivity of the MAS-PCR test for INH resistance compared to the conventional phenotypic DST were 100% [95% CI 92.9-100%] and 90% [95% CI 82.4-95.1 %], respectively. The second study demonstrated that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for INH is influenced by both the mutation responsible for resistance to INH and the lineage backbone of the M.tuberculosis isolate. A two-way ANOVA of MIC including both strain lineage (p=0.003) and resistance mutation (p<0.001) showed highly significant independent effects of both factors on MIC level. MIC to INH of isolates with a katG315 mutation (2ug/ml) was significantly higher compared to MIC to INH of isolates with an inhA-15 mutation (0.25p.g/ml) and wild-type isolates (0- 0.lug/ml) (p<0.00l). The independent effect of the strain lineage on INH MIC was predicted to correspond to a 2.68-fold (95% Cl 1.52-4.73, p<0.001) increase for Beijing lineage strains and a 1.40-fold (95% Cl 0.72-2.74, p=0.32) increase for EuroAmerican lineage strains in comparison with strains of the Indo-Oceanic lineage. The third study investigated the impact of INH resistance on outcome in patients with HIV-associated TB meningitis (HIV/TBM) and showed that HIV/TBM patients infected with INH resistant M.tuberculosis which remains susceptible to RIF have significantly worse outcomes than patients infected with fully susceptible strains. The adjusted hazard ratio for MDR patients in comparison with fully susceptible or streptomycin (STR)-monoresistant isolates was 5.21 [95% Cl 2.38-11.42], p<0.0001 compared with HR= 1.78 [95% Cl 1.18-2.66], p=0.005 for patients with INH resistant isolates (+/-STR resistance). The final study investigated the distribution of N-acetylator-2 (NAT2) phenotypes for INH metabolism in healthy volunteers from the Vietnamese Kinh population and correlated this with phenotypes using caffeine as a surrogate indicator for INH metabolism. This study showed that characterisation of 3 single nucleotide polymorphisms is sufficient to determine the acetylator status of individuals of Vietnamese Kinh ethnicity and that there is a predominance of fast acetylators (65%) in this popUlation. A simple PCR-RFLP test was developed to enable rapid determination of acetylator status for further studies. Collectively, these results contribute to our understanding of INH resistance in M.tuberculosis and provide molecular tools for further studies of this crucial drug

The Frequency, Form, and Perceived Benefits of Service Learning in Speech Communication Departments

This article focuses on the frequency, form and perceived benefits of service learning in speech communication departments. The widespread availability of service learning opportunities for students in speech communication departments reflects the national trend, across disciplines, to emphasize service learning on college and university campuses. Service learning provides yet another benefit in that it can substitute for traditional internships when such opportunities are lacking. Phelps and Timmis (1984) explain that the availability of traditional internships with profit-seeking corporations is often limited. Increasing participation by speech communication students in service learning, however, may be restricted by a lack of resources. Most departments lack the resources necessary to grant release time to faculty whose students complete traditional internships. These limitations are perhaps even more intense for service learning

From Hoax as Crisis to Crisis as Hoax: Fake News and Information Disorder as Disruptions to the Discourse of Renewal

Hoaxes have long been a reputational threat to organizations. For example, false claims that syringes had been found in bottles of Pepsi-Cola products, that a portion of a finger had been found in Wendy’s chili, and that Domino’s employees had intentionally served contaminated food to customers have topped the media’s agenda. More recently, the hoax phenomenon has been tactically reversed. Heavily trafficked Internet sites and controversial television personalities frequently argue that well-documented crises themselves are hoaxes. The potential for claims of crisis as hoax to disrupt the discourse of crisis renewal is examined through an analysis of three cases. We argue that overcoming such disruptions requires corporate social responsibility, a focus on the issues rather than the hoaxers, and continued efforts to improve media literacy for all audiences

The IDEA Model as a Conceptual Framework for Designing Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) Messages Distributed via Mobile Phone Apps

Short response time available in the event of a major earthquake poses unique challenges for earthquake early warning (EEW). Mobile phone apps may be one way to deliver such messages effectively. In this two-phase study, several hundred participants were first randomly assigned to one of eight experimental conditions. Results of phase one afforded researchers the ability to reduce the number of conditions to four. Phase two consisted of five experimental conditions. In each condition, a 10 second EEW was delivered via a phone app. The four treatment conditions were designed according to elements of the IDEA model. The control condition was based on the actual ShakeAlert EEW computer program message being used by emergency managers across the US west coast at the time. Results of this experiment revealed that EEW messages designed according to the IDEA model were more effective in producing desired learning outcomes than the ShakeAlert control message. Thus, the IDEA model may provide an effective content framework for those choosing to develop such apps for EEW

Improving Biosecurity through Instructional Crisis Communication: Lessons Learned from the PEDv Outbreak

Crises, by their nature, demand effectively designed and quickly delivered instructional messages that compel stakeholders to take appropriate actions to protect themselves and their assets. The challenges of crisis communication are intensified in crises involving unanticipated and relatively unknown disease outbreaks with the potential to spread exponentially. This study assesses the communication challenges and opportunities in such volatile crises through an analysis of the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv) outbreak that severely threatened the United States pork industry in 2013 and 2014. Interviews were conducted with 13 individuals directly involved in developing and distributing risk and crisis biosecurity messages during the PEDv outbreak. Participants were selected based on affiliation with the National Pork Board, American Association of Swine Veterinarians, university extension, or their swine industry expertise. Four generalizable implications emerged: 1) the advantage of maintaining flexibility in crisis communication planning; 2) the value of audience analysis and message adaptation; 3) the importance of understanding not only what to do, but also why the recommended actions are essential; and 4) the utility of risk/crisis communication and education both prior to and during a crisis event

Session 2A: \u3cem\u3ePanel Discussion: Developing Post-Incident Risk Communication Guidelines for Intentional Water Contamination Events\u3c/em\u3e

This panel will discuss emerging findings from a US EPA-funded research project intended to improve risk communication for post-incident decontamination and clearance activities associated with intentional contamination of a water system. The session will center around Phase II of the study, which focuses on extending the Phase I case study findings that were presented at last year’s KWRRI Symposium, to identify ways in which disparate stakeholder groups in metropolitan areas differentially perceive risk and subsequent risk communication efforts

The Role of Spokesperson in Ambiguous and Complex Crises: The CDC and Anthrax

This study evaluates the role of spokespersons in complex organizations facing ambiguous crises. Specifically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) response to the anthrax crisis in 2001 is offered as a case study. A content analysis of the print media coverage of the anthrax crisis reveals that many claiming affiliation with the CDC spoke on behalf of the organization, resulting in what appeared to be a fragmented CDC message. The study concludes that the CDC’s failure to provide a central spokesperson contributed to the ambiguity of the situation