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The Impact of Media Frames and Treatment Responsibility within the Situational Crisis Communication Theory Framework

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Abstract

This experimental investigation examines the role and impact of media frames and enhanced treatment responsibility within the situational crisis communication theory framework. An experiment was conducted among 121 undergraduate students at a Midwestern university. The results indicated that enhanced treatment responsibility resulted in an elevated reputational threat to organizations. Furthermore, it was found that crisis reports that emphasized treatment responsibility resulted in elevated negative affect toward the organizations. Implications, discussion and future directions are provided.

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Acknowledgements

Research assistants Sarah Valencia, Rodney Kimlin, Holly Roberts, Christopher Powers, Laura Pyle, Andrew Doherty and Justin Young were upper-undergraduate applied research students in the Department of Communication at Pittsburg State University at the time the study was conducted. We thank the instructors in the Department of Communication that provided participants for this study.

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  1. Department of Communication, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, KS, USA

    Alicia M Mason

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  1. Alicia M Mason
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Mason, A. The Impact of Media Frames and Treatment Responsibility within the Situational Crisis Communication Theory Framework. Corp Reputation Rev 17, 78–90 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1057/crr.2013.26

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