Communication Currents

As a Communication Studies Department chairperson, I'm often asked, “What careers can a student pursue with a communication degree?” My question in response is, “What kind of career doesn't require expertise in communication?” Surveys of employers consistently identify communication skills as crucial for success in the workplace. While that may be intuitively obvious, what may not always be so obvious is what a critical role communication plays in the vital issues of our day. Part of my role as editor of Communication Currentsis to help to shed light on that role.  

So, in this and upcoming issues of Communication Currents, in addition to our presentation of cutting-edge communication research and timely advice from communication experts, we will offer special features designed to illuminate the communicative dimensions of issues in the news. In this issue, Tim Sellnow, internationally recognized expert in crisis communication, will help us to understand how BP, seen by many as largely responsible for the worst environmental catastrophe in US history, can use the communication strategy of renewal to redeem itself in the eyes of the world. I hope you find his essay thought-provoking.