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This article explores approaches to crisis communication and the application of those approaches by organizations responding to a disaster. The authors conducted a survey of 107 state government agencies to learn about government efforts in situations requiring crisis communication. Generally, the survey results suggest that although state agencies enjoy a positive relationship with the media, they have little proactive communication with the media, and less than half have a written crisis communication plan. Significant associations were found between the variables under study, including size of the organization, roles in crisis situations, media relationships, and preparation of a crisis communication plan. Case studies and additional evaluations of communication resources are needed to help determine the ability of the public sector to respond effectively to crises. This article considers the needs of state agencies and proposes a conceptual approach that synthesizes a crisis communication process designed for the public sector.

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Government communication is pervasive and has an impact on every aspect ofAmerican public life. However, there is minimal theory-driven research in this critical area of communication. This research explores comparisons of communication practices and the status of professional development among the four levels of U.S. government organizations through a survey of 781 government communicators. The study identifies six significant differences and two similarities in how the public sector environment affects communication practices at the city, county, state, and federal levels. The findings were applied to a modification of the government communication decision wheel, a model that offers a theoretical foundation for the study of government communication within its unique environmental context free from the bias of corporate-centric research assumptions. The findings contribute to communication theory development for the underresearched public sector.