Att tala i olika faser av en kris : En studie av polisens kommunikation i samband med skolskjutningen på Campus Risbergska

Sammanfattning

In February 2025, the deadliest school shooting in Swedish history occurred at Campus Risbergska Örebro, placing extensive operational and communicative demands on Swedish police authority. In crisis situations of this magnitude, police communication plays a crucial role in informing the public, reducing uncertainty and at the same time maintaining trust. The aim of this study is to analyze the communication strategies used by the police following the school shooting and examine how these strategies changed from the critical first week to the post-crisis phase. The study uses a qualitative research approach and is based on a thematic analysis of six press conferences held between February 2025 and May 2025. Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) is used as the theoretical framework, enabling an analysis of how information management, meaning-making, and reputation related strategies were applied over time. The results indicate that the police communication during the initial phase primarily focused on information distribution and emotional support, reflecting the immediate need for safety, clarity and reassurance. In the post-critical phase, communication shifted towards meaning-making and reputation related strategies, including transparency, competence, and justification of actions. The study contributes to crisis communication research by applying SCCT to a Swedish public authority context and a sudden, violent crisis, highlighting both the usefulness and limitations of the theory in such settings.