Crisis Communication - Practical Lessons from Disasters

In this review of Crisis Communication, Kjell Brataas offers a focused, practitioner-oriented look at how communication shapes outcomes during natural disasters, accidents and terror attacks. The book is best for emergency managers, public information officers and policy students who want concrete, experience-based guidance rather than abstract theory. Brataas draws on first-hand accounts and documentary material to show what worked and what did not, making the single biggest reason to buy this text its clear emphasis on real incident practice and communication tactics.

Key Features

• Incident coverage: Detailed chapters cover three incident types - natural catastrophes, accidents and terror attacks - to illustrate communication differences between scenarios.
• First-hand accounts: The book includes testimony and perspectives from people who handled events, supplying practical insights into on-the-ground decision making.
• Focused lessons: Each chapter highlights critical communication elements and lessons learned, helping readers adopt proven approaches.
• Wide sourcing: Supplementary facts and illustrations are drawn from a variety of sources to contextualize each incident and cross-check conclusions.
• Practical advice: Brataas offers concrete recommendations on preparing for crises and managing interviews, social media and victim support.

Who It's For

Crisis Communication is aimed at professionals and students in emergency management, public relations, government agencies and non-governmental organizations who need applied guidance on communicating during high-pressure incidents. The book is particularly useful for those responsible for press briefings, social media response or coordinating victim support where communication choices have immediate consequences.

Readers seeking a theoretical treatise on communication theory or a lightweight general-interest narrative should look elsewhere; this volume is practical and detail-oriented rather than a broad survey or casual read.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Provides concrete, experience-based communication lessons that are directly useful to practitioners.
• Combines multiple sources and illustrations to build a reliable account of each incident.
• Covers distinct incident types so readers can compare strategies across natural catastrophes, accidents and terror attacks.

Cons

• Focuses on practice over theory, so readers wanting deep academic models of communication may find it limited.

Specifications

Our Verdict

Crisis Communication is a pragmatic, well-sourced guide for anyone charged with communicating through emergencies. Its strength is practical advice drawn from real events, making it good value for practitioners who want actionable lessons rather than academic exposition. Purchase it if you need concrete examples and guidance for briefing, social media and victim support under pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the book cover different types of incidents?
Yes, it examines natural catastrophes, accidents and terror attacks with tailored communication lessons for each.

Is the content theoretical or practical?
The emphasis is practical, based on first-hand accounts, documentary material and clear lessons learned.

Who benefits most from this book?
Emergency managers, public information officers and students in related fields will gain the most from its applied guidance.