The topics that I plan to explore this semester all deal with crisis communication. My primary focus here at the University of Pittsburgh is in the field of communication. I think that is very important to understand how to communicate clearly and effectively. I believe that this can be a very hard task when there is a crisis going on since some cannot effectively communicate in non-emergency situations.

I believe that communicating under these circumstances is becoming more important and more frequently needed. Certain events such as 911, Hurricane Katrina and The Virginia Tech shootings may not have been responded to as efficiently as they could have been had we had we been more prepared. There was chaos and no clear plan apparent to the masses that were involved. I realize there are some things that you cannot be prepared for however everyone should be aware of how to prepare.

Communicating with the public in these types of situations is crucial. We need to be able to communicate such things as procedure, how to remain calm and how to go about contacting loved ones that may have been involved during. There needs to be a universal checklist to follow. However, we also need to be able to communicate effectively after when the reality has set in and the country, school etc. could be in a state of panic.

These issues are very important because they are happening more and more often. They are also interesting to me because each crisis situation can be handled in so many different ways. When addressing these situations we need to remember that everyone acts differently under pressure. When dealing with a crisis there are so many different aspects that need to be assessed not only might there be people involved but also maybe the economy and ecosystem could be affected.

There is a lot at stake in crisis situations. Credibility of the government or of an institution is a big concern in a crisis situation. This is the last thing you want in a crisis situation especially when you are trying to communicate reason or instructions to the public. This is apparent because I believe George Bush has lost a lot of his credibility since his decisions after 911. That was a crisis that no one was prepared for which is understandable however the messages that were communicated after the fact were not and still are not clear to the public.

We should care about how to communicate in major emergencies because they affect so many people and places. During crises there are many messages that need to reach the masses and must be done so in an efficient and straightforward kind of manner. If we study this and the ways to communicate before, during, and after disaster the cleanup and effects will be lessened tremendously.