Organizational Sensemaking in a Mixed-Media Environment: The Case of Paula Deen

Abstract

The rise of online media has changed not only the way organizations communicate with external stakeholders, but also the way that organizational crises are created, perpetuated, and managed (Sweetser & Metzgar, 2007; Choi & Lin, 2009). The 24/7 news cycle, combined with the “every-person editorial” capabilities of blogs and other social media, has enabled the creation of an environment in which organizational missteps get uncovered, editorialized, and rehashed across media platforms. Crisis communication is more than a two-way street; it is an intersection where competing interests and voices all get a say. The result is an environment that amplifies both the opportunities and the dangers inherent in crisis communication, as external stakeholders can comment on crisis in real time, lending both support and criticism to the organization’s crisis narrative (Chewning, 2015; Chewning, in press; Choi & Lin, 2009).