Introduction

This chapter introduces the main concerns of the book, and the book’s broader relevance and novelty. It highlights the need for renewed focus on values in the study of risk communication of the two global challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, asserting the need for greater focus on responsibilisation in the field of risk communication, as risk messages transmit values and (sometimes implicit) directives about preferred conduct for risk minimisation and prevention. It clarifies some points on terminology and argues for the choice of settings (the United Kingdom, Denmark and transnational) for the two global risks explored in this book. It indicates how this monograph contributes to the field of risk communication with its bespoke interdisciplinary approach, analyses of textual examples of official risk communication and insights into how risk communication responsibilises. It clarifies its intended readerships and provides an overview of the remaining chapters.