(in Polish) Komunikowanie w zakresie bezpieczeństwa 2102-BW-M-Z1KWZB
1. Psychosocial Conditions of Risk Communication
Topics related to the reception of threat-related information in psychological and social contexts, including the role of emotions, collective experience, and deeply rooted response patterns.
An overview of factors influencing risk perception — including the availability heuristic, sense of control, moral distance, and previous crisis experiences.
The importance of trust in institutions and sources of information as a determinant of message effectiveness and social acceptance.
The Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF) as a conceptual tool explaining why identical information may trigger different social reactions depending on context.
Disinformation and disturbances in the communication environment — the impact of information overload, message inconsistency, and channel fragmentation on collective responses.
2. Institutional Communication in National Security Structures
The structure of the internal security system in Poland, with emphasis on the division of competences between central and local administration, uniformed services, and supporting institutions.
Communication as an integral element of crisis management — the significance of information planning, message coherence, and source traceability.
Relations between central and local levels in the flow of information and communication responsibility — potential tensions and coordination challenges.
Legal foundations for the conduct of public information activities by state institutions, including specific regulations for emergency and extraordinary situations.
Social trust capital as an institutional resource determining the effectiveness of communication and public compliance during threats.
3. Strategies and Models of Crisis Communication
Communication within the crisis management cycle — distinction between the prevention, escalation, stabilization, and reputation recovery phases.
The CERC model (Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication) as a dynamic approach tailored to different stages of a threat, with attention to tone, content, and communication channels.
The concept of Image Restoration Theory — techniques for image repair, institutional responses to criticism, and the role of responsibility and transparency as strategic components.
The importance of message language: distinctions between technical and public-oriented communication, the role of empathy and clarity in fostering understanding and reducing uncertainty.
Audience-specific message differentiation — from operational instructions to stabilizing narratives aimed at rebuilding trust.
4. Media, the Digital Sphere, and Information Security
Transformations of the information ecosystem in the digital era: acceleration of content circulation, source decentralization, and the hybrid character of modern communication.
The role of traditional and social media in message management — opportunities and risks associated with virality and the dynamics of digital platforms.
Principles of cooperation with the media and public communication in sensitive situations — institutional responsibility for accuracy, transparency, and clarity of information.
Mechanisms for countering disinformation, including real-time rebuttal, fact-checking, and behavioral analysis of public reactions.
Communication as an element of state information resilience — understood not only as the transmission of messages, but as a process of shaping social attitudes and legitimizing public authority during crises.
Mode
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Knowledge
K_W02 – Identifies and explains fundamental concepts of social sciences relevant to communication processes in the field of security.
K_W03 – Describes the organizational structure and functional role of institutions responsible for internal and public security.
K_W04 – Understands principles, functions, and mechanisms of social communication, particularly in the context of risk and emergency situations.
Skills
K_U05 – Applies principles of effective, audience-oriented communication in professional security-related contexts.
K_U07 – Analyses and interprets social phenomena relevant to public safety, including information flow and public perception in crisis scenarios.
Social competences
K_K02 – Demonstrates responsibility and ethical awareness regarding the role of professional communication in public safety operations; understands the impact of communication on trust and social attitudes.
Assessment criteria
Passing the course requires completion and successful passing of the final test. The final grade is based on the result of this test, administered during the last class, as well as the student’s ongoing participation throughout the course.
Participation includes engagement in group work, workshop-based tasks, and analytical exercises. Assessment of activity is based on the level of preparation, familiarity with assigned literature, ability to draw accurate conclusions, and the depth of individual reflection on the topics discussed.
The final written test is a necessary condition for passing the course. It verifies the student’s understanding of key theories and concepts related to communication in the field of security, including knowledge of institutional structures, mechanisms of information flow during emergencies, and the ability to interpret phenomena relevant to public safety.
A positive final grade confirms that the student has acquired the knowledge and skills necessary for competent and responsible participation in communication processes within the area of security.
Bibliography
Required reading
Dobek-Ostrowska, B. (1999). Podstawy komunikowania społecznego (1st ed.). Astrum.
Dojwa-Turczyńska, K., & Bodziany, M. (2013). Public relations instytucji bezpieczeństwa. Wydawnictwo Uczelniane Wyższej Szkoły Oficerskiej Wojsk Lądowych.
Domalewska, D. (2020). Wielowymiarowość komunikacji w kontekście bezpieczeństwa: Komunikacja w sytuacjach kryzysowych i komunikacja strategiczna. Wydawnictwo Akademii Sztuki Wojennej.
Gryz, J., & Kitler, W. (Eds.). (2007). System reagowania kryzysowego. Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek.
Olejnik, T. (2017). Zarządzanie kryzysowe a komunikacja, czyli jak i kiedy informować ludzi. Wydawnictwo Naukowe Dolnośląskiej Szkoły Wyższej.
Poznańska, A. (2012). Komunikacja medialna a sfera publiczna: Szanse i zagrożenia. Karkonoska Państwowa Szkoła Wyższa.
Rządowe Centrum Bezpieczeństwa. (2024). Księga komunikacji kryzysowej: Teoria i praktyka. RCB.
Sobera, W. (2023). Profesjonalizacja komunikowania w sytuacji kryzysowej: Studium przypadku. Uniwersytet Śląski.
Żebrowski, A. (2016). Walka informacyjna w asymetrycznym środowisku bezpieczeństwa międzynarodowego: Wybrane problemy. Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Pedagogicznego w Krakowie.
Pietrek, G. (2025). Komunikacja kryzysowa w systemie ochrony ludności: Wybrane zagadnienia. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Przyrodniczo-Humanistycznego w Siedlcach.
Supplementary reading
Coombs, W. T. (2021). Ongoing crisis communication: Planning, managing, and responding (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Diers-Lawson, A., Schwarz, A., Meissner, F., & Ravazzani, S. (Eds.). (2024). Risk and crisis communication in Europe: Towards integrating theory and practice in unstable and turbulent times. Routledge.
Heath, R. L., & O’Hair, H. D. (Eds.). (2009). Handbook of risk and crisis communication. Routledge.
Renn, O. (2008). Risk governance: Coping with uncertainty in a complex world. Earthscan / Routledge.
Taylor, B. C., & Bean, H. (Eds.). (2019). The handbook of communication and security. Routledge.
Ulmer, R. R., Seeger, M. W., & Coombs, W. T. (2011). Effective crisis communication: Moving from crisis to opportunity (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Carreira, C., Mendes, A., Ferreira, J. F., & Christin, N. (2025). A systematic review of security communication strategies: Concepts, typologies, and applications. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: