The Rise and Fall of Hot-Issue Publics: Relationships that Develop From Media Coverage of Events and Crises

Research over the years using Grunig's situational theory has identified hot-issue publics along with active, aware, latent, and nonpublics. Hot-issue publics typically communicate actively only about a single problem that involves nearly everyone in the population and that has received extensive media coverage. Hot-issue publics tend to emerge when a triggering event occurs, such as an accident, crisis, or media controversy. Hot-issue publics, however, tend to dissipate after media coverage of the problem subsides. This study addresses the extent to which organizations need relationships with hot-issue publics or whether they need only to address media coverage of a crisis at the time it occurs. More than 90 qualitative interviews were conducted over several years with individuals about a number of hot issues. Results suggest that most hot-issue publics do not become active publics but that they remain aware after the problem gets less attention. Thus, organizations need to use principles of crisis communication to cultivate a short-term relationship with hot-issue publics and to continue a longer-term relationship with the now more aware public.