«Trygghet når du trenger det mest» -krisekommunikasjon på liv og død. En retorisk tekstanalyse av Sørlandet sykehus sin krisekommunikasjon rundt saken om “Flekkefjord-legen”

Abstract

Based on 13 texts taken from NRK Sørlandet, Fædrelandsvennen and Sørlandet Hospital's website, this master's thesisseeks to analyze Sørlandet Hospital's crisis communication around the case of the “Flekkefjord doctor”. The Flekkefjord doctor had worked as an orthopedic chief physician at the hospital in Flekkefjordfor eleven years. Without being an orthopedist. This resulted in malpractice. This dissertation takesform of a rhetorical text analysis and wants to examine the various communication strategies Sørlandet Hospital used in the time after the case broke in the media. With a hermeneutic and rhetorical approach, the thesis looks at both the specific tools used in the various texts, in addition to previous crisis history and appropriate crisis response.Through the use of theoretical perspectives taken from Benoits, Hearit and Coombs, among others, the analysis shows that the hospital has been inconsistent in its choices of crisis response. Both recovery strategies, separation and corporate apologia has beenused. And even though the crisis falls under the crisis type “could have been averted”, Sørlandet hospital appears not to use a very accommodating strategy.