You are most likely familiar with the widely publicized Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989. However, up until this point, everything you have known about this crisis has likely come from the media. Now that you have been studying crisis communications and management, you will likely view this crisis in a new light. Considering what you have learned, has your view of the crisis changed?
For this Application, you will analyze the ongoing process of messaging during crisis management. Refer to the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill https://www.history.com/topics/1980s/exxon-valdez-oil-spill#:~:text=The%20Exxon%20Valdez%20oil%20spill,Horizon%20oil%20spill%20in%202010. Or research online. As you read, consider how Exxon responded to the crisis, and how the crisis played out in the media.
Write a 2-page paper addressing the following questions:
• How well do you think Exxon responded to the crisis?
• Should the CEO have been speaking to the media when the crisis first erupted? Why or why not?
• What was the reaction from the key publics? Evaluate Exxon's response to these reactions.
• Do you think the CEO's response was appropriate? Why or why not?
• How would you have responded? What messages would you have included?
• Comment on the ethical concerns associated with this crisis and how it was handled.
• If this crisis occurred today, what social media would you use to communicate the messages you recommended? Explain your choice(s).