Graduation Year

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

M.A.

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Degree Granting Department

Zimmerman School of Advertising and Mass Communications

Major Professor

Mildred M. Perreault, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Kelli K. Burns, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Travis T. Bell, Ph.D.

Keywords

Crisis Communication, Dolly Parton, Ethical Communication, Ethics of Care and Values- Driven Reputation Management, Stakeholder Engagement

Abstract

This study examined Dolly Parton’s crisis communication across four major crisiscontexts: the 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires, the 2021 Middle Tennessee flooding, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2025 Hurricane Helene floods. Using a qualitative multiple case study approach, the research analyzed media coverage, public statements, institutional communications, foundation announcements, and philanthropic records to identify recurring patterns in how ethical leadership and stakeholder responsibility were communicated during these crises. Guided by ethical communication theory, ethics of care, stakeholder theory, Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), and values-driven reputation management, the study explored how values were enacted through both communication and material action.

Findings indicated that Parton’s crisis communication reflected a consistent leadership practice rather than episodic response. Across all cases, material action preceded public messaging; institutional partnerships were prioritized over personalization, and measurable support preceded amplification. Empathy was communicated through sustained, structured systems of care rather than symbolic expression alone. Transparent funding mechanisms, clearly articulated distribution processes, and long-term recovery commitments reduced uncertainty and reinforced trust among affected stakeholders. Crisis communication functioned less as reputational repair and more as reinforcement of legitimacy already established through long- term community engagement.

The analysis also showed that Parton functioned as a stakeholder in her own brand, governing visibility and influence in ways that prioritized affected communities over personal recognition. Her Appalachian identity informed a communication style characterized by humility, familiarity, and restraint, enabling broad public trust while avoiding overt political alignment. Overall, the study demonstrated that ethical, stakeholder-centered crisis communication operates most effectively as an ongoing leadership practice grounded in relational accountability. Her integrity of message was accumulated through consistency, transparency, collaboration, and alignment between values and action rather than strategic messaging alone. She anticipated how her message would be precepted and thereby laid a foundation for her community to trust her and her brand. The study seeks to understand how care-based communication and long-standing regional identity can shape credible and trusted responses in high visibility crisis contexts.

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