Podunk University’s leadership was faced with a crisis situation. The President of the University had been arrested after the car he was driving struck and injured two students, on campus. It had been reported that the President of the University, Dr. Stanley, had been intoxicated at the time of the accident.
The PR department used Grunig and Grunig’s Model #2 to communicate the events (and the suggested response to media questions) to the staff, faculty, and student body. It was the most effective model to use due to the urgency of the situation and because public discussion of the events would not have helped resolve a criminal case. This paper will discuss the justifications for using Model #2 in this case study.