Thesis (MCom (Communication Management))-- University of Pretoria, 2008. / Abstract in English. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

The purpose of this dissertation is to prove the importance of crisis communication and to evaluate the performance of the selected airline company on Facebook in relation to the benchmark of the industry. The theoretical component of the dissertation divulges in the definition of communication and its related processes, while emphasizing mass communication and its changes in regards to the development of new technologies. Furthermore, the study also describes crisis communication, its various uses and principles. The practical component gives a brief overview of social media platforms - with a particular focus on Facebook - within which the recommendations of how to manage crisis situations on the aforementioned platform are listed. By following those recommendations, commendable management of crisis communication will be shown with the example of the given airline.

Zoological gardens play an important role in conservation and preservation of wildlife nowadays. Building a positive image and trust of the public is very important for them to be able to work on this mission. Providing the public with up-to-date and positive information about what goes on within the organisation helps keeping up or even increasing visitor numbers. Press staff of the zoos use a set of simple marketing tools to turn some of their animals into iconic celebrities. On the other hand, zoos have their fair share of crisis situations such as the loss or escape of animals, natural disasters, injuries to staff or visitors, loss of trust or increasing entrance fees. This thesis analyses a number of such important crises in Czech zoos using qualitative analysis methods and offers some solutions that might diminish the impact of similar situations in future.

Harrisburg, Chernobyl and Fukushima have changed the world’s view of the probability that a nuclear disaster can happen. But they are also a reminder of how necessary a working crises management is in the times a disaster appears. This paper is a systematic review about accidents and disasters, and the communication in this time. The purpose of the study is to analyse the use of communication in these cases, but also how organizations and media are communicating, and which dimensions they use. The conclusion of this study shows that risk and crisis communication needs to improve in all cases. The best communication was with Sweden’s fire in Västmanland 2014 and the Tsunami 2004. Hurricanes and nuclear power needs better strategic in the whole process.

Changing the approach to communication and engagement with the local people in Liberia during the Ebola response turned out to be a key strategy in the Red Cross’ work. The Liberian Red Cross’ communication with the crisis-affected people changed significantly during the fight against the Ebola virus, from top-down information to a more dialogical communication approach. The Ebola epidemic in West Africa has caused more than 11 000 deaths since the outbreak in March 2014. The task of defeating the virus seemed overwhelming at times, but the outbreak finally stopped and all the three worst hit countries: Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia were declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization. Communication with and participation of the people the aid organizations target have been a central issue for discussion within the international community and development agencies for a long time. During the Ebola response it was clearly stated that communicating and engaging with the people living in the affected area was a core approach during and after the response. This thesis explores how one of the responding humanitarian organizations, The Red Cross, used communication with the crisis affected people in Liberia as a tool in their response to help stop and prevent the virus from spreading. The study is done as a case study. Main components of the case, and focus for the analysis, are semi-structured interviews with staff and volunteers from the Liberian Red Cross that worked with communication and operational activities during the Ebola response. Red Cross documents from the Ebola response, policy, planning, evaluation and training-documents, are also important part of the case.

<p>Det övergripande syftet var att ta reda på genren genus demonstrativums betydelse i politisk kriskommunikation och frågeställningarna var:  </p><p>• <em>Hur använder Göran Persson genren genus demonstrativum för att bearbeta den <em>politiska kris som ett ministermord innebär?</em> </em></p><p>• <em>Vad vill Göran Persson uppnå med sina tal och med vilka retoriska medel försöker han skapa mening kring mordet? </em></p><p>• <em>Vilka attityder försöker Göran Persson få åhörarna att inta och hur gör han det? </em><em> </em></p><p>Materialet bestod av fyra tal och den övergripande metoden var strukturell och stödmetoderna stil-, ideologkritisk-, och retorisk analys. Jag lutade mig bland annat mot teorier av Elmelund Kjeldsen och Johannesson. Studien visar att genren genus demonstrativum stärkte och enade medborgarna i ett krisdrabbat samhälle. Istället för att fokusera på dådet hyllade Göran Persson Anna Lindh och använde henne som symbol för det demokratiska samhället. Detta medförde att problematiken kring ministermordet minimerades eftersom talen skapade en framtidstro och ett lugn. Göran Perssons övergripande syfte var att få svenska befolkningen att delta i folkomröstningen och hans genreval bidrog till ett högt valdeltagande. Några retoriska medel han använde sig av var enande symboler och stilfigurer. En attityd han skapade var hopp.  </p> / <p>The objective with this essay is to investigate the sense of importance the epidictic genre genus demonstrativums has in political crisis communication and the objectives were: </p><p>• <em>How has the genre genus demonstrativum been used as a tool in communication by the Head of the Swedish Government, Göran Persson, when a minister was murdered? </em></p><p>• <em>What is Göran Persson´s agenda and in which rhetorical strategies is he trying to <em>create a sense of meaning through this political crisis? </em> </em></p><p>• <em>What attitudes is Göran Persson attempting to get the audience to adapt and how does <em>he do that? </em> </em></p><p>The base for this essay is four different speeches and the overall method was structural analysis followed by a stylistic-, ideology- and rhetorical analysis. I have built my essay on theories by Elmelund Kjeldsen and Johannesson. This essay shows that the genre genus demonstrativum unites the citizens in a community of crisis. Rather than focusing on the negative aspect of the actual murder, Göran Persson chooses to celebrate the memory of the Minister Anna Lindh as a symbol of democracy. By doing this, Göran Persson managed to create a common feeling of hopefulness. As a result, the political implications declined tremendously. His overall purpose was to increase the number of votes in the upcoming public election. An agenda that his choice of genre helped him achieve. A few of his rhetorical strategies were uniting symbols and the use of stylistic figures. A common attitude he managed to create among the Swedish citizens was hope.</p>

Det övergripande syftet var att ta reda på genren genus demonstrativums betydelse i politisk kriskommunikation och frågeställningarna var:   • Hur använder Göran Persson genren genus demonstrativum för att bearbeta den politiska kris som ett ministermord innebär?  • Vad vill Göran Persson uppnå med sina tal och med vilka retoriska medel försöker han skapa mening kring mordet?  • Vilka attityder försöker Göran Persson få åhörarna att inta och hur gör han det?   Materialet bestod av fyra tal och den övergripande metoden var strukturell och stödmetoderna stil-, ideologkritisk-, och retorisk analys. Jag lutade mig bland annat mot teorier av Elmelund Kjeldsen och Johannesson. Studien visar att genren genus demonstrativum stärkte och enade medborgarna i ett krisdrabbat samhälle. Istället för att fokusera på dådet hyllade Göran Persson Anna Lindh och använde henne som symbol för det demokratiska samhället. Detta medförde att problematiken kring ministermordet minimerades eftersom talen skapade en framtidstro och ett lugn. Göran Perssons övergripande syfte var att få svenska befolkningen att delta i folkomröstningen och hans genreval bidrog till ett högt valdeltagande. Några retoriska medel han använde sig av var enande symboler och stilfigurer. En attityd han skapade var hopp. / The objective with this essay is to investigate the sense of importance the epidictic genre genus demonstrativums has in political crisis communication and the objectives were:  • How has the genre genus demonstrativum been used as a tool in communication by the Head of the Swedish Government, Göran Persson, when a minister was murdered?  • What is Göran Persson´s agenda and in which rhetorical strategies is he trying to create a sense of meaning through this political crisis?   • What attitudes is Göran Persson attempting to get the audience to adapt and how does he do that?   The base for this essay is four different speeches and the overall method was structural analysis followed by a stylistic-, ideology- and rhetorical analysis. I have built my essay on theories by Elmelund Kjeldsen and Johannesson. This essay shows that the genre genus demonstrativum unites the citizens in a community of crisis. Rather than focusing on the negative aspect of the actual murder, Göran Persson chooses to celebrate the memory of the Minister Anna Lindh as a symbol of democracy. By doing this, Göran Persson managed to create a common feeling of hopefulness. As a result, the political implications declined tremendously. His overall purpose was to increase the number of votes in the upcoming public election. An agenda that his choice of genre helped him achieve. A few of his rhetorical strategies were uniting symbols and the use of stylistic figures. A common attitude he managed to create among the Swedish citizens was hope.

The theoretical starting point of this work was sophrolinguistics as a science discipline. Sophrolinguistics is a science that examines how a person is linguistically behaving in a crisis situation. The basis is that one communicates simply, briefly and clearly. This thesis is also focused on how to deal properly in crisis situations, how to listen to people who find themselves in a crisis situation. At the end of the theoretical part, the thesis deals with characteristics of crisis situations. The practical part deals with communication in crisis situations, what kind of words is appropriate in the given situation, but also points out what should not be said. This thesis shows the difference in the number of emergency lines in our country and in the German-speaking environment, offers examples of interviews from calls to emergency lines. Then the thesis describes real crisis situations (theft and theft of personal belongings, fire, traffic accident, injury, dog biting, snake bite and brain shake) in which pupils can get abroad. For each crisis situation, there are several activities to be used in teaching. The situation also includes the appropriate vocabulary that pupils at language level A1 and A2 should know. At the end of the practical part of the thesis an analysis of selected textbooks of the German language was performed. The subject of the study was whether the selected textbooks deal with how to respond in crisis situations and include appropriate vocabulary.

This thesis describes the creation of a collaborative digital platform for disaster management and relief, focusing on the case study of the city of Petrópolis natural disaster in February 2022. The frequency and intensity of natural disasters are rising, necessitating efficient and timely disaster response efforts. This thesis details the development of a software application that fosters collaboration among governmental agencies, emergency services, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and civil society to enhance logistical planning and situational awareness during disasters. The proposed platform harnesses the power of social networking and leverages the ubiquitous presence of smartphones equipped with cameras, GPS, and sensors to gather crucial real-time data. Through a secure and user-friendly interface, verified stakeholders can access essential information while the public contributes valuable data through their smartphones. The platform ensures reliable data collection and dissemination by analyzing metadata, assessing human needs, empowering decision-makers with up-to-date information, and providing verified information channels and real-time data analysis. The platform seeks to minimize overlapping efforts, reduce mismanagement of resources, and ultimately save lives and livelihoods in disaster-stricken areas.

Text in English, abstracts and keywords in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / Secondary educational institutions need to constantly scan their environment for crises that could hamper their operations and hinder the achievement of their organisational objectives. These institutions should also engage their strategic stakeholders in a mixed motive communication to collaboratively discuss the crises and find amicable solutions; thereby avoiding crises like the proliferating student strikes in secondary educational institutions in Kenya. This study explored the need for a customised Proactive Crisis Communication Process (PCCP) framework for secondary educational institutions in Kenya to avoid student strikes. A two-phased approach was adopted to collect the data. The first phase involved 12 one-on-one semi-structured interviews with the principals of the secondary educational institutions in Mirangine Sub-County, while the second phase involved five focus group discussions with the students of Ruiru Secondary School. The results indicated that student strikes in secondary educational institutions in Kenya were proliferating and that despite this, these institutions lack proactive measures to avoid strikes. Hence, this study posited a PCCP framework that proposed various proactive measures to avoid student strikes in secondary educational institutions in Kenya. / Sekondêre opvoedkundige instellings moet konstant hul omgewing ondersoek vir krisisse wat hul bedrywighede kan belemmer en die bereiking van hul organisatoriese doelwitte kan verhinder. Hierdie instellings moet ook hul strategiese belanghebbers by gemengdemotief- kommunikasie betrek om gesamentlik die krisisse te bespreek en minlike oplossings te vind; en sodoende krisisse soos die toenemende studentestakings in sekondêre opvoedkundige instellings in Kenia te vermy. In hierdie studie is die nodigheid vir ʼn doelgemaakte ProaktieweKrisiskommunikasieproses (PCCP)-raamwerkvir sekondêre opvoedkundige instellings in Kenia ondersoek om studentestakings te voorkom. ʼn Tweefase-benadering is gevolg om die data in te samel. Die eerste fase het 12 halfgestruktureerde onderhoude behels wat een-tot-een met die hoofde van die sekondêre opvoedkundige instellingsin Mirangine Sub-Countygevoer is, terwyl die tweede fase bestaan het uit vyf fokusgroepbesprekings met die studente van RuiruSecondarySchool. Die resultate het getoon dat studentestakings in sekondêre opvoedkundige instellingsin Kenia vinnig toeneem en dat hierdie instellings, ten spyte daarvan, nie oor proaktiewe maatstawwe beskik om stakings af te weer nie.Gevolglik het hierdie studie ʼn PCCP-raamwerk aangeneem wat verskeie proaktiewe maatstawwe voorstel om stakings deur studente in sekondêre opvoedkundige instellings in Kenia te verhoed. / Izikhungo zemfundoyomkhakhawamasekhondari kumele zihlale ziqaphele ukuthi akukho yini endaweniezikuyookungasusaudweshubesekuphazamisaukusebenzakwazokuvimbe impumeleloyazoezinhloswenizayo.Lezizikhungokumelezibuyezisebenzisane nabathintekayo balawule amasu okusebenza ukuba kubenokuxhumana okunhlobonhlobo kuxoxwe ngokubambisana ngodweshu olungavela nokuthi lungasonjululwa kanjani ngendlela egculisayo; ngaleyo ndlela-ke ingagwemeka imibhikisho yabafundi elokhu isabalala ezikhungwenj zamasekhondari eKenya. Lolu cwaningoluhlola isidingo sohlaka lwekhethelo lokusheshe kusukunyelweudweshu lungakenzeki,i-Proactive Crisis Communication Process (PCCP) olungasebenza ezikhungweni zemfundo yamasekhondari eKenya ukuze kugwenywe imibhikisho yabafujni. Kwemukelwaindlela ezigaba zimbili yokuqoqainingwane. Isigaba sokuqala ngokuxoxisana okuyi-12 komuntu ebhekene nomuntu okuthi akuhleleke nje, okwenziwa nothishanhloko bezukhungo zemfundi yamasekhondaribaseMiringane Sub-County, kanti isigaba sesibili sabandakanya izingxoxo eziyisihlanu zamaqembu agxike kokuthile nje, zenziwa nabafundi besikole iRuri Secondary School. Imiphumela yaveza ukuthi imibhikisho ezikhungweni zemfundo yamasekhondari eKenya yabe yanda nokuthi nangaphandle kwalokhu izikhungo lezi zazingenazo izinyathelo ezingazithatha ngaphambi kwesikhathi ukuvimba ukwenziwa kwemibhikisho. Yikho-ke lolu cwaningo luphakamisa uhlaka lwe-PCCP oluncoma izinyathelo ezahlukene okumele zisheshe zithathwe ukugwema imibhikisho yabafundi ezikhungweni zamasekhondari eKenya. / Communication / M.A. (Communication)