Running head: ETHICS AND MEANING OF CRISIS COMMUNICATION 1

Ethics and Meaning of Crisis Communication

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ETHICS AND MEANING OF CRISIS COMMUNICATION 2

Ethics and Meaning of Crisis Communication

According to Paul (2011), strategic communication is relevant, especially on

issues of national security policy. It comprises of coordinated messages, images,

actions, and other forms of signaling intended to influence, inform, or persuade a target

audience in support of national objectives. Strategic communication has been effective

in dealing with challenges in the society that arise because of violent extremism. The

The Bhopal disaster began with a poison gray cloud during the early morning hours of

December 3, 1984. It was tons of toxic gases originating from Union Carbide India

Limited (UCIL’s) pesticide plant in Bhopal that spread throughout the city. Water

carrying catalytic material had entered methyl Isocyanate (MIC) storage tank No. 610.

What followed was a complete nightmare. The killer gas spread throughout the city

streets, but there was no evacuation plan prepared or alarm to provide warning to

residents. The next thing that happened was victims arriving in hospitals breathless and

blind. Doctors did not know how to treat them as there were no emergency provided. It

was only when the sun rose the next morning that the magnitude of the devastation was

clear. Dead bodies of humans and animals blocked the streets, leaves had turned

black, and the smell of the gas lingered in the air. About 10,000 had died immediately

and 30000 to 50000 had become ill by December 4, 1984. The number continued to

increase by it was evident that most families had lost family members or the whole

family had died in the tragedy. Bhopal disaster remains the worst chemical disaster in

history (Fortun, 2009).

The Bhopal disaster raised serious ethical issues. The pesticide factory had been

constructed in the midst of a densely populated settlement. UCIL chose to store and
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produce a deadly chemical in an area that had more 120000 residents. The runaway

reaction was beyond the control even by the company itself. UCIL had reduced the

number of workers by half to cut costs of operations between 1980 and 1984. This had

serious consequences on safety and maintenance. The safety training provided to

workers had been reduced from 6 months to 15 days and the company had eliminated

the position of a maintenance supervisor. Several workers had died in the previous

years from leak of toxic chemicals in the company. Plant operator Mohammed Ashraf

and two other workers were injured in 1981. Between one half and two thirds of the

experienced and well trained engineers and operators had left the factory in search of

more secure and satisfactory employment (Sheoin, 2009). Dow Chemical Company

was responsible for the disaster. The international drive for justice in Bhopal persists its

fight to get Dow to accept full liability and provide compensation and healthcare

provision for the survivors and families of the victims. Dow Chemical proposed to

construct a new chemical plant in Pune, 150 kilometers southeast of Mumbai, India.

Protesters who comprised of villagers and other supporters occupied the roads to stop

construction work on the new chemical plant that was to become the company’s

research laboratory. The protests had continued for a night, and by morning the

protesters had built in numbers. The authorities began taking the threat seriously as

tension increased among the protesters. A judge ordered the company to stop building

the new plant and wait for completion of government investigations (Fortun, 2009).

The Yes Men are an activist group that uses the strategy of communication

known as culture jamming. The group built a media agenda to create sympathy to the

victims of Bhopal and create awareness on the consequences of use and production of
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toxic chemicals. The group used the strategy of hoaxes in the pledge to acquire

support for stronger climate legislation. The efforts of the group attracted national and

international responses to the disaster. The Yes men claimed that the company had not

taken full responsibility of its damages (Robinson & Bell, 2013). Amnesty International

Publications (2004) confirm that groups of survivors continue to call for justice even

today. Intergovernmental organizations, transnational companies, and national

regulatory authorities began to support the need for policies that addressed production

and use of toxic chemicals. The policy responses, however, have not succeeded in

preventing the continued occurrence of toxic chemical incidents that impact on the

health, environment, and livelihood of those affected.

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References

Amnesty International Publications. (2004). Clouds of injustice: Bhopal disaster 20

years on. Mexico City: Amnesty International Publications.

Fortun, K. (2009). Advocacy after Bhopal: environmentalism, disaster, new global

orders. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

Paul, C. (2011). Strategic communication: origins, concepts, and current debates. New

York: ABC-CLIO.

Robinson, N. W., & Bell, G. (2013). Effectiveness of culture jamming in agenda building:

an analysis of the yes men's Bhopal disaster prank. Southern Communication

Journal, 78(4), 352-368.

Sheoin, T. (2009). Waiting for another Bhopal: global policies to control toxic chemical

incidents. Global Social Policy, 9(3), 408-433.