SV-407 Crisis Communication

The course is connected to the following study programs

• Master's Programme in Global Development, Crisis and Change
• Master's Programme in Samfunnsplanlegging, sted og prosess
• Master's Programme in Social Communication

Teaching language

The language of teaching is English.

Course contents

This course invites students to contextualize and appraise crisis in the context of global communication, democracy, and civic culture. Two prongs are pursued: First, the relation between crisis and communication is understood as a crisis of communication, institutionally and at a societal level, where faith in democratic institutions seem to be a growing concern. Second, the framework identifies crisis communication on a spectrum of fields and areas of research interest: Mounting climate catastrophes, refugee challenges, energy challenges and other trans-national political challenges, as for example the rise of extremism and eroding trust in the increasingly complex web of global political institutions.

 

Theoretical perspectives will include:

• relevant aspects of development and planning research

• classic studies of persuasion, attention work, and power

• research in global and local communication, digitization, mediatization

• models of sustainable communication

• the UN sustainability goals as understood from a communications perspective

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course, the student will be able to:

• provide an overview of how crisis has been – and is being – conceptualized as a communications challenge across global and local dimensions

• critically relate crisis and communication to theories and perspectives on the globalization and digitalization of information flows

• outline key features of crisis communication in the context of risk society and emergency preparedness

• critically assess strategic aspects of communication as persuasion, propaganda and misinformation

• use case-studies to elaborate the practical relevance of theories and models

Teaching methods

Internet-based teaching through Canvas. Estimated workload is 270 hours.

Evaluation

The lecturer decides, in cooperation with student representative, the form of student evaluation and whether the course is to have a midway or end of course evaluation in accordance with the quality system for education, chapter 4.1.

Offered as Single Standing Module

No

Assessment methods and criteria

Portfolio assessment including written discussions in groups, hand-ins and paper. Further information will be given in Canvas. Graded A-F.

Reduction of Credits

This course’s contents overlap with the following courses. A reduction of credits will occur if one of these courses is taken in addition:

Course	Reduction of Credits
ST-411 – Governance and Information Management	10
ST-411 – Communication Strategy and Information Planning - Theory and Practice	10