Crisis Communication as a Pedagogical Method in Media & Communication Studies and in Journalism Studies in Norway
Peer reviewed, Chapter
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https://hdl.handle.net/10642/2199Utgivelsesdato
2014Metadata
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Sammendrag
Crisis communication has been a regular topic in Media &
Communication Studies and in Journalism Studies in Norway for many
years. This article outlines experiences at Oslo and Akershus University
College of Applied Sciences (HiOA) with taking part in two large-scale
anti-terror exercises in 2006 and 2012 in and around the Norwegian
capital Oslo. The main organizers were The Norwegian Directorate
for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning and The Norwegian
Police Directorate. Students from The Department of Journalism
and Media Studies at HiOA staffed online (intranet) newspapers to
simulate “media pressure” on 40–50 key institutions with a total of
4,000-5,000 staff from all management levels right up to the Prime
Minister’s office. The analysis and findings confirm that from the
vantage point of a tertiary education institution, the benefits of taking
part by far outweighed some drawbacks. Specifically, the exercises
a) gave students first-hand experience in crisis communication and
crisis management; b) have improved conceptually and take into
account relevant crisis communication theory; c) reflect that Norway
still has to come to terms with the tragic events of 22 July 2011 when
77 Norwegians were murdered by a Norwegian terrorist; d) suggest
that many of the 40–50 organizations singled out to be trained in the
exercises are still inadequately prepared for terror strikes.