There are crises that develop gradually, such as an economic decline or soaring inflation, but sometimes they strike unprepared. The difference between gradual and erupting types of crises is not only the psychological, but also the institutional degree of preparedness. As communication scholars, we have a unique interest in the latter, for, as we argue, the toppling of the status quo is paralleled by a coup d’état, in which media takes control while the powers-that-be are nowhere to be seen, either because they are busy taking cover or they simply can’t respond in time.
