Affected Circles: a relational perspective on crisis communication.

Crisis communication theory has traditionally emphasized reputation-oriented communication strategies, aimed at protecting and restoring brand value and organizational reputation. This article argues that such an approach is insufficient in situations where corporate or governmental organizations are confronted with people who are directly affected by a crisis, including victims and their next of kin. In these contexts, crisis communication requires a different or additional perspective, one that starts from the relationship between the organization and those affected. 

The article introduces Affected Circles as a framework that supports communication aimed at reducing additional burdens for affected individuals and at incorporating psychosocial insights relevant for coping with and processing crisis experiences. While the framework has been further developed and applied in Dutch crisis communication practice, this article positions Affected Circles conceptually within the international crisis communication and psychosocial literature. Drawing on concentric models of psychosocial impact and proximity, as well as principles of audience segmentation, Affected Circles conceptualizes affected populations as differentiated communicative communities with distinct needs and vulnerabilities. This implies that organizations carry different relational responsibilities toward affected groups, depending on their degree of impact and proximity. Rather than offering prescriptive communication rules, the framework functions as a heuristic that supports professional judgment and relational sensitivity across public and corporate crisis contexts.