22 pages., via online journal., In 2015, Blue Bell Creameries had its first recall in the company’s history. Blue Bell issued a voluntary recall of all of its ice cream products after Listeria was detected and was linked to 10 illnesses that resulted in three deaths. With the theoretical framework of framing and Situational Crisis Communication Theory, the purpose of this study was to explore how this recall was presented in company press releases and news media coverage to determine what crisis communication strategies Blue Bell implemented and how the media presented that information. This study was a content analysis of 23 press releases from Blue Bell and 68 articles from newspapers. The four crisis response strategies, or postures, used as frames were deny, diminish, rebuild, and bolster. This study also examined sources identified in the articles and the topic areas they discussed. The results indicated Blue Bell’s communication efforts were properly and effectively disseminated through the news media to the public. Blue Bell used accommodative crisis communication postures to restore its reputation. Blue Bell was also commonly found as a source in the news stories, which benefitted the company when communicating about the recall to the public. This study provided an examination of crisis communication strategies and reputation management for organizations related to one specific food recall, which should encourage additional studies of these strategies in food and agricultural industries.
Content analysis of agricultural and home economics news in Vermont's 11 daily and 27 weekly newspapers. Results showed that such news accounted for 3.6 percent of news space in dailies and 8.1 percent in weeklies. The survey underscored the importance of helping local extension personnel as editors are interested in stories with local angles.
Hester, Al (author), Millwood, Sharron Smith (author), and Associate Professor of Journalism, University of Georgia; Georgia Cooperative Extension Service
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
1976
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 42 Document Number: B04909
