ABSTRACT

There are two questions often asked of risk communication: what has been learned from past work, and what is needed to push the field forward? Drawing on the experience of leading risk researchers and practitioners, Effective Risk Communication focuses on answering these questions. The book draws together new examples of research and practice from contexts as diverse as energy generation, human health, nuclear waste, climate change, food choice, and social media. This book treats risk communication as much more than the interchange of risk information between experts and non-experts; rather, it aims to emphasise the diversity in viewpoints and practices.

In each specially commissioned chapter, the authors reflect on the theoretical and applied underpinnings of their best projects and comment on how their approach could be used effectively by others. Building upon each other, the chapters will provoke new discussion and action around a discipline which many feel is neither meeting important needs in practice, nor living up to its potential in research. Through a more careful examination of the work already done in risk communication, the book will help develop better, more reflective practice for the future.

chapter |5 pages

Introduction

chapter 1|17 pages

A relational theory of risk

Lessons for risk communication

chapter 5|18 pages

New transparency policies

Risk communication's doom?

chapter 6|17 pages

Social distrust and its implications for risk communication

An example from high level radioactive waste management

chapter 9|22 pages

Risk communication in social media

chapter 10|25 pages

The ‘Mental Models' methodology for developing communications

Adaptations for informing public risk management decisions about emerging technologies

chapter 11|14 pages

Construing risk

Implications for risk communication

chapter 14|24 pages

Risk communication

Insights from the decision sciences

chapter 15|19 pages

Risk Communication for empowerment

An ultimate or elusive goal?

chapter 16|15 pages

Learning from failures