The Situational Theory of the Publics in an Ethnography Research: Identifying Public Response to Crisis Management
Rachmat Kriyantono

Abstract
The public is important in public relations practices and is the ultimate target of a public relations program. Considering the public’s needs and interests, especially in a crisis situation, the company is able to foster a mutual understanding with its public. The research tries to depict the public response to crisis management, include the communication behaviors and the situational perceptions of the villagers, one of the external public, as the variables of the Situational Theory of the Public during the mudflow crisis in Indonesia. Although this theory has often been overlooked, it has not been applied to explore the public’sresponse to the crisis management during the mudflow crisis in Indonesia, particularly by using an ethnography method. The research outlined clearly that the public were aware and active public. As a result of these characteristics, this research revealed a model of communication flow among the victims.

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