risk communication (2024)

FAQs

Risk communication? ›

Risk communication is the real-time exchange of information, advice and opinions between experts or officials and people who face a hazard or threat to their survival, health, or economic or social wellbeing.

There are four basic risk and high concern communication theories: trust determination theory, negative dominance theory, mental noise theory, and risk perception theory. Risk communication will be successful only if carefully planned and designed for the specific situation and audience.

The Principles of Risk Communication: IGNORING THEM CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH! The three main goals of risk communication are to create trust and credibility, to educate your public, and to involve them in the decision-making process.

Risk communication: “Exchanging thoughts, perceptions, and concerns about hazards to identify and motivate appropriate action.” The ultimate goal of risk communication is to get someone to take an action to reduce their risk from hazards. We can use behavior change science to help us.

Start by practicing good risk management, building on the old adage of four Cs: compassion, communication, competence and charting.

Risk communication is the real-time exchange of information, advice and opinions between experts or officials and people who face a hazard or threat to their survival, health, or economic or social wellbeing.

Risk communication comprises two facets: ”scaring people” and “calming people down” or alerting and reassuring people. There are moderate hazards that people are apathetic about or minor hazards that people are outraged about. Risk communication tries to create a level of “outrage ” appropriate to the level of hazard.

Systematic Interests and Biases

So whenever a personal or a social decision may affect interested groups, conflicting messages that reflect the conflicting interests may be expected. The beliefs of risk communicators, and their interests, create incentives to slant or even distort or misrepresent information.

What are the three types of risk communication? ›

This nine-minute audio clip discusses some key strategies associated with each of the three paradigms of risk communication: precaution advocacy (high hazard, low outrage), outrage management (low hazard, high outrage), and crisis communication (high hazard, high outrage).

Risk communication is communication intended to supply audience members with the information they need to make informed, independent judgements about risks to health, safety, and the environment.

By incorporating elements of all four approaches – Modern Portfolio Theory, Risk Retention, Risk Reduction, and Diversification – organizations can develop a comprehensive and effective risk management strategy.

But either way, it's important because it will have an impact on objectives. These could be positive, negative or neutral. There are always several options for managing risk. A good way to summarise the different responses is with the 4Ts of risk management: tolerate, terminate, treat and transfer.

Integrating risk into decision-making, fostering a strong risk culture, disclosing risk information, and continuously improving risk management procedures are the four key concepts that underpin the success of risk management.