1. Clila Magen, PhD. Bar-Ilan University
International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference, 2017
University of Central Florida
“Oh No! Not Again“: Do We Learn From Our Mistakes in Crisis Communication?
Clila Magen, PhD.
Bar-Ilan University

2. Apollo, 1967 Apollo, 1970 Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, 2003
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, 1986
Apollo, 1967
Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, 2003

3. “It won’t happen to me” syndrome
Recurring Crises
twice

4. Crisis event
Pre-crisis
Crisis Cycle
Post-crisis

5. Literature Review Empirical studies of recurring crises
(Martin & Boynton, 2005; Wrigley, Shizuko & Kikuchi, 2006; Miller & Littlefield,2010)
Chaos Theory in crisis communication
(Murphy, 1996; Seeger, 2002)
Discourse of renewal
(Ulmer, Sellnow & Seeger, 2007)

6. Research Questions
Do private organizations improve their crisis communication skills in response to prior crises they have experienced?
Is there a pattern in the common CC errors that organizations repeat despite their past experiences?

7. Methodological Design
Case study approach- Tnuva & Tiv Taam
To examine the learning process of crises of competitors from the same area
Qualitative content analysis of media content
To examine the learning process of their own crises
Structured-focused analysis according to six components retrieved from CC research

8. Framework for analysis Potential of learning from mistakes
Crisis A 
Post-Crisis A
Pre-Crisis B
Crisis B 
Credibility and trust
Prompt response
Strategies
Tactics
Stakeholders’ reference
Leadership
Credibility and trust
Prompt response
Strategies
Tactics
Stakeholders’ reference
Leadership
Potential of learning from mistakes

9. Credibility and trust

10. Prompt response

11. Strategies & Tactics

12. Leadership
Stakeholders’ reference

13. Findings

14. Conclusions
Similar mistakes were repeated in the two cases (failure to consider
stakeholders’ interests, lack of leadership qualities and credibility
issues).
If there was any crisis communication improvement it was
primarily on the exterior “cosmetic” layer.
Using a systematic framework for analysis which includes the most
frequent components in crisis communication research may assist
us in tracing the weak links in the learning process

15. Learning from mistakes
Research limitations
Broadening the number of cases analyzed
Interviews
Learning from media content
Crisis A 
 Post-Crisis A
 Pre-Crisis B
Crisis B
Learning from mistakes