"WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE PHYSICAL LAWS OF NATURE, WE ARE STILL MASTERS OF OUR INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE DESTINY, FOR

\/i S i Jy definition, a situation of crisis is an occurrence of a //series of events that challenge the capabilities of the J system and necessitate other than normal procedures to restore a balance. A crisis has an element of non-participation on the part of some who are parties to the conflict, due either to their compliance, or failure of their 'intelligence ' to detect the aberrant signals, or due to other communication mishaps. Being an abnormal situation, its handling requires articulation cf communication structures and their utilisation. Viewing communication structures from the vantage point of a crisis situation, can provide an opportunity to measure the relative efficacy of different media and channels, and to see communications at work-promoting or hindering national integration. One can therefore concude that communication structures offer an assemblage of ideas needed to bring about a radical reform in our contemporary social, economic and political structures for the benefit of mankind, as a whole. Nowhere perhaps,does this have more significance than during a cirsis situation where the intensity of information in terms cf volume, frequency and flow is at its maximum, implying an almost exhaustive capacity to handle and disseminate information. /Media in a crisis situation becomes both an intellectual and/ j or emotional 1 ife system, feedincj mes-saoes to the masses and ^influencing their ideas,opinions and experiences. The subjectivity and objectivity criteria of media coverag