ABSTRACT
Risk communication has an internal and an external process. The internal process addresses the need for coordination between risk managers and risk assessors. The external process describes how the risk management team interacts and communicates with its external stakeholders and its various publics. Risk communication is readily distinguished from basic communication because it addresses difficult and complex issues that are often fraught with uncertainty and it is often done when emotions like stress and fear are present. Done well, it is an interactive exchange of information and opinions throughout the risk management process. It concerns risk, risk-related factors, and risk perceptions and it takes place among risk assessors, risk managers, and their stakeholders and other interested parties. It focuses on the nature of the risks these people face, and it can also include explaining risk assessment findings and the basis of risk management decisions.
