Communicating about Risks

1. This presentation will probably involve audience discussion, which will create action items. Use PowerPoint to keep track of these action items during your presentation • In Slide Show, click on the right mouse button • Select “Meeting Minder” • Select the “Action Items” tab • Type in action items as they come up • Click OK to dismiss this box • This will automatically create an Action Item slide at the end of your presentation with your points entered. Communicating about Risks [Phillip G. Clampitt, Ph.D.]

2. 1. What is risk communication? • Communicating about relative benefits and hazards • benefits • hazards • relative “weighing alternatives” • Examples • Smoking • Alcohol • Drugs

3. 2. Analyzing risks • Well developed science • Based on fault trees • Major dimensions • Exposure • Effect (“who” impacted, children) • “ … the risk may be well understood in a statistical sense but still be uncertain at the level of individual events” (Morgan, Scientific American)

4. 3. Perceptions of Risk • Not linear or straightforward • Two dimensions • Ability to observe • Ability to control • So what? • Perceptions change • Reactions change • Communications should change

6. 4. Principles of perception • What is a tolerable risk for some is intolerable for others • Trust is a critical factor • Experts • Science (problem of uncertainty) • Rules of thumb vary for different audiences • Understanding is not the same as agreement & participation

7. 5. Ways of communicating • Ancient way • Myths, legends, rituals, metaphors • Old way • Expert Sender • Concerned Receiver • Another way • Dialogue allowing perception of control

8. 6. The premise of effective risk communication • “The essence of good risk communication is very simple: learn what people already believe, tailor the communication to the knowledge and to the decisions people face and then subject the resulting message to careful empirical evaluation” - Morgan • Example: EPA’s 1st Radon brochure never address a key myth • Radon contamination is permanent)

9. 7. What is your objective? • Minimize concerns • Inform publics of expert opinion • Educate publics • Persuade publics • “provide people with a basis for making an informed decision” • “successful risk comm. need not result in consensus or in uniform personal behavior” (National Research Council)

10. 8. Developing the strategy • AA • “Risk communication will suffer to the extent that the audience(s) is mischaracterized” National Research Council • “People tolerate risk for reasons that may have little to do with factual details, formal risk estimates, or details of risk abatement proposals” - Heath • Perceptions in the risk grid

11. Strategy cont. • Creating the right mindset • Accept the desire for non-expert audiences to exert control • Recognize the value-laden nature of risk assessment (“non-rationale”) • Realize that you better harvest the dissent or someone else will • Trust the power of dialogue over monologue

12. Strategy cont. • Develop the right processes • Collaborate with audiences in info. Gathering, risk assessment and control • Allow audiences to have a role in the risk control process • Build trust over time through community outreach • Allow the public to develop & practice emergency response measures

13. Strategy cont. • Facilitate the dialogue • Acknowledge the uncertainties • Do not trivialize concerns • Accept criticism of data and decision processes • Participate in dialogue underscoring both legitimate benefits & potential harms • Frame questions/concerns in terms of experiences & values of audiences

14. Strategy cont. • Assess the impact • Focus groups • Participation rates • Question analysis • Surveys

15. 9. Implement strategy • Not a one-time event • Publish policy statements • Keep in contact with key audiences • Monitor issues • locally • nationally • internationally • Revise strategy