This paper introduces the concerns of the papers in the Special Issue and examines communication as a chameleon discipline that responds and adapts to sometimes very challenging contexts. It explores the strengths and weaknesses of the diversity of approaches that exist in communication studies and shows how this diversity offers both opportunities to be resourceful and hurdles to be managed. The paper reflects on the definitional ambiguity of communication and the ways that communication is perceived and approached in different institutions globally. Its aim is to forge a way through debates about the nature of the field by paying attention to the responsiveness and adaptability of those who teach communication in the face of educational and political change.

<roman xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><b>Background:</b></roman> Data breaches happen when an unauthorized party gains access to personally identifiable information. They are becoming more common and impactful, raising serious concerns for individuals as well as companies. <roman xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><b>Literature review:</b></roman> Although there is considerable literature on users’ mental models in security and privacy, there has been limited study of mental models related to data breaches. <roman xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><b>Research questions:</b></roman> 1. How do users understand data breaches? 2. What are their perceptions of the causes, responsibilities, and consequences, as well as possible prevention and appropriate follow up? <roman xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><b>Methodology:</b></roman> We explored end-user understanding of internet data breaches by conducting a study with 35 participants. They were asked to draw their understanding of data breaches and answer some open-ended and closed-ended questions afterwards. <roman xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><b>Results/discussion:</b></roman> Although their drawings varied in detail and complexity, we identified four patterns in the participants’ drawings: they illustrated abstractions of attacks to gain administrator access, end-user access, backdoor access, or access using database server vulnerabilities. We found that participants had a basic model of how an internet data breach happens, but with significant uncertainties regarding system vulnerabilities, causes, consequences, prevention methods, and follow-up steps after a breach. <roman xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><b>Conclusions:</b></roman> In all, end-user mental models of internet data breaches are basic and show gaps that emphasize the need for improved communication to increase users’ awareness and help them hold companies accountable.

Using a narrative–semiotic approach, this article explores the decisions, plans, and actions involved in dealing with organizational risks and crises. It describes a model, or methodological framework, for crisis analysis as well as for organizational learning aimed at crisis management and prevention. The model is based on the interrelational positioning of the relevant agents (project managers, project team members, and stakeholders), the discourses produced by these agents, and their actions. This model is valuable for understanding the situations, goals, motivations, and anxieties that underlie the risk assessment and actions taken during crises. To illustrate the theoretical discussion, the article analyzes the Columbia Space Shuttle accident of 2003.

This article explores the notion of creativity as it relates to writing. It supports the tenet that all written texts, regardless of genre, contain creative elements to varying degrees, one reason being the representational aspect of language and, in particular, written language. It proposes that it would be more productive to examine written creativity on a continuum rather than through an exclusive dichotomy between creative and non-creative, and describes the elements that would be involved in such a continuum. The article explains some pertinent approaches to creativity, both linguistic and non-linguistic, and leads to a discussion of creative techniques on semantic, syntactic, and textual levels, drawing examples from a database of different texts.

Acknowledgements Preface The Writing Process Research and Information Management Style and Effect Business and Technology Journalism Writing for the Digital Media Reports and Proposals Critical Thinking Business Document Formats Working in Teams Job Applications Writer's Reference A Final Note... References Bibliography Index