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For more than a century, public relations relied on the traditional press release to drive its message to the media and ultimately its stakeholders; however, within the last decade the fundamental nature of public relations has changed with the growth in the importance of social media ([52] Waters et al. , 2010; [56] Winchell, 2010). In fact, [45] Smith (2010) argues that the power of communication has shifted from public relations practitioners to social media users. The field is recognizing the strategic value of institutionalizing the use of social media as a routine part of stakeholder engagement because they can reach broader audiences ([18] Eyrich et al. , 2008), allowing organizations to engage in a dialogue with stakeholders that will shape and form their relationships with them ([47] Sung-Un et al. , 2010). Taken together these changes necessitate a different model for analyzing and evaluating an organization's public relations efforts; one that is inherently integrated considering both traditional public relations tools and social media ([15] Diers, 2012). This need for message synchronization is even stronger in the context of crisis response because organizations are expected to provide up-to-date, specific, and accurate information about the crisis ([47] Sung-Un et al. , 2010; [48] Veil and Ojeda, 2010). Yet, there is little research analyzing message synchronicity in routine contexts let alone during crises. Therefore, analyzing an organization's multi-media response to a prolonged crisis would afford the best opportunity to initially identify a model for multi-media engagement.
The case of the 2010 BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico
On April 20, 2010 there was an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico killing 11 workers. Over the next five months, BP would have to manage its image in the face of an environmental catastrophe to a variety of multi-national stakeholders. As details emerged, it became clear that it was not merely an accident but an organizational transgression ([12] Coombs and Holladay, 2002); one in a line of deadly BP transgressions within the last decade including explosions in Texas and Alaska ([30] Maresh and Williams, 2007). The scope of the Gulf disaster meant that there was a significant focus on the situation and BP's response to it. In fact, from April 20 to...