Emergent Conceptual Frameworks of Disruption, Character Assassination, and Visual Disinformation in Crisis Communication Research

This chapter discusses three innovative concepts—disruption, visual disinformation, and character assassination—in the context of crisis communication theory. The evolution of digital communications has created new forms of visibility and provided the conditions for permanent scandal. Subversive campaigns using AI technologies enable the mass creation of fake visual content that could potentially contribute to the public's distrust in visual information and create new reputational risks for political and public institutions. The chapter discusses the relevancy of emergent research on subversive communication in the context of crisis communication and reputation management. The recent scholarship on paracrisis and scansis has profound implications for developing new approaches to issues management. Crisis managers may design pre-crisis inoculation messaging for stakeholders based on the most likely and impactful potential crises. The chapter provides suggestions for countering the effects of subversive communication and offers insights that could potentially direct future academic investigations.