Risk Communication

Risk communication involves communicating risks that are involved in a situation. People are generally apathetic when it comes to risks, and it is difficult to get them concerned. Catch phrases such as, "Watch out!" and "Stop worrying" reflect the poles of risk communication. The former demonstrates an urgent need, whereas the latter demonstrates no urgent need.

Assumptions about risk communication:

1. One-way communication, with an indentifiable audience to be warned and a source to do the warning.
2. The source knows more about the risk than the audience.
3. The audience's interests are at heart.
4. The source's recommendations are based on real information, not values or preferences.

Risk communication, as described above, does not always follow these assumptions. Therefore, risk communication should be multi-directional rather than one-directional. Industry, government, and the media should talk less and listen more. Using a multi-directional approach, "...it is easier to design effective messages if the source pays attention to what the prospective audience thinks and feels."

Another approach, although not multi-directional, is to measure success by what the audience knows and not by what the audience decides. Just by letting people know puts pressure on the companies to keep risk below a certain point.

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