Crisis communication and the Norwegian authorities

Abstract

How can the authorities communicate adequately to the public after national catastrophes and deal with the distress and basic needs of citizens in an appropriate manner? How should they address citizens after a devastating disaster that has never occurred in the country before? The present article analyses crisis communication after two severe catastrophes that caused great distress in the Norwegian population: the Chernobyl power plant disaster in 1986 and the terrorist attacks on the government complex and the Norwegian Labour Party youth camp on the island of Utøya on 22 July, 2011. The focus will be on the communication during the initial phase of these two catastrophes, the early days of the atrocities