Navigating Troubled Waters: Applying the IDEA Model to the Flint Water Crisis

This study examines the instructional crisis communication surrounding the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Although pre-crisis government communications were widely criticized for their failure to adequately warn the public about dangerous levels of lead and other carcinogenic chemicals in Flint’s water, instructional messaging during the crisis has not received the same level of attention. This study employs qualitative content analysis to examine the website content from the EPA, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Michigan governor’s office, Genesee County Health Department, and Flint mayor’s office through the lens of the IDEA model during the height of the crisis. The instructional content published to these agencies’ websites fits within the IDEA model framework and serves as effective instructional communication about the health concerns facing residents. Explanation and action were most prominently featured across the content, although internalization strategies were also used to varying degrees. The content was distributed and widely shared across agency websites, especially at the federal and state level. Future areas of research include how semantic and rhetorical choices in message content and structure may enhance elements within the IDEA model and how using images can increase message effectiveness.