This text for communications specialists marks a departure from earlier studies by approaching the subject of communication programs and crisis response holistically, concentrating on how mass communication plans, programs, and campaigns, special event and crisis response techniques must be coordinated in order to be effective. The study establishes the link between the parent organization's public relations concept and the communication methods it should employ and outlines the design and implementation of those programs for both short-term needs and crisis or disaster response.

The outdated case studies often found in similar volumes are replaced here by theory and problem-solving techniques which may be applied to incidents found in any newspaper or periodical: election campaigns, oil spills, or acts of God are included for more meaningful in-class study. The text also features the many aspects of the design of public relations programs, ranging from basic responsibilities in communication to the need for consistency in campaigning and budget considerations. This training text will give future communication specialists a broad overview of their discipline with a solid look at how communications systems are interrelated.