Public Crisis Management In China: Research In Government Information Disclosure

As public crises become more frequent and with the coming of information society, governments are facing enormous challenges in managing public crises and the information disclosure system of government during public crisis is becoming a major concern for the public. Especially in China, the government is the largest owner of information and thus a major player in public crisis management process. During the process, government can offer immediate information channels, protect citizens' right to obtain information, foster their information bearing capabilities and thus enable them to make reasonable judgments when facing crisis. In other words, the role governments play in public crisis management is very significant.The first chapter of the dissertation will define some basic concepts in public crisis and information disclosure studies. It includes the concepts of crisis and development cycle and also the definitions of crisis management and information disclosure and the relationship between the two. The importance of information disclosure during crisis management and the characteristics of different stages of public crisis are also discussed.The second chapter focuses on information disclosure during incubation period of crisis. It explains the importance of early warning system in crisis management, analyzes the current status of crisis information disclosure and dissemination in China, and proposes development strategies for Chinese information disclosure system based on foreign experiences.The third chapter is the core part of this paper. In-depth researches are conducted to investigate the problems we might face in different stages of public crisis. Participants in crisis management, content of crisis and strategies we may employ are all discussed within this chapter. According to the information disclosure requirement during the emergency period of crisis and taking different views from government, public and media, some advices are suggested for the development of China's information disclosure system at the end.The fourth chapter focuses on information disclosure during recovery period of crisis recovery period are important to both the public and the government. It is not only the time people regain their home but also an opportunity for the government to rebuild or strengthen its public image.The last chapter summarizes and gives further advices for the long run.The main part of this dissertation is ordered by different stages of public crisis, analyses characteristics of different stages of crisis management and roles of information disclosure system, gives some descriptions of major players in public crisis management i.e. government, public and media, introduces, through case studies, the current status of information disclosure systems in both China and foreign countries, and finally summarizes six suggestions for governments to improve their information disclosure system.