Risk Communication Materials Vol. 1 (2005)Blackwood, Matthew Joseph (hard copy located in individual binder) Abstract: Local emergency planning committees (LEPC's) were designed to develop emergency response plans and provide information through community right-to-know programs. A literature review identified operational effectiveness, collaboration, risk communication, information technology (IT), and homeland security as important issues for LEPC's. However, a lack of research on the interaction of these fields raises several questions that were addressed in this study: This research is significant in its identification of the current operation of LEPC's. It provides an assessment of collaborative initiatives being used within LEPC's and highlights methods employed to develop and implement risk communication programs. These findings can be used to evaluate the potential role of LEPC's in homeland security initiatives, which will likely focus on emergency planning with a decreased emphasis on risk communication.
Clarke, Lee Abstract: Dr. Lee Clarke summarizes his book, Mission Improbable , about dealing with a significant disaster and its relationship to society. He provides a definition of risk through the work of James March and Herbert Simon, “…risk is when there is ‘accurate knowledge of a probability distribution of the consequences that will follow on each alternative' and uncertainty is when ‘the consequences of each alternative belong to some subset of all possible consequences, but ….the decision maker cannot assign definite probabilities to the occurrence of particular consequences'”. The basis for Dr. Clarke's work is to explore problems that do not have solutions and most likely will not have a solution for quite some time. These problems include oil spills, nuclear reactor meltdowns, and nuclear war civil defense plans. Strongly emphasized, is the symbolic value of planning. Dr. Clarke views plans as, “…public declarations that planners, or planning organizations, have deliberated carefully about some problem and have developed the requisite wisdom and power to establish dominion over it”. Another idea that would be beneficial for those addressing the issue of panic is the fact that people typically do not panic when informed, regardless of the information's content.
Covello, Vincent T. Abstract: Covello uses the six primary questions of who, what, when, where, why, and how combined with three topics (what happened, what caused it to happen, and what does it mean) to develop the 77 questions that will most probably be asked by the media during a crisis.
Covello, Vincent and Peter M. Sandman Abstract: Over the past thirty years, our country has witnessed a tremendous take-back by the public of power over environmental policy. In the 1970's, people were largely content to leave control in the hands of established authorities, such as the Environmental Protection Agency. In the 1980's, however, the public reasserted its claim over environmental policymaking. People became visibly upset, distressed, and even outraged when they felt excluded. In this crucible, the current version of risk communication was born. It was created, in part, to guide the new partnership and dialogue of government and industry with the public. It addressed a fundamental dilemma made clear by that dialogue: The risks that kill people and the risks that alarm them are often completely different. There is virtually no correlation between the ranking of hazards according to statistics on expected annual mortality and the ranking of the same hazards by how upsetting they are. There are many risks that make people furious even though they cause little harm — and others that kill many, but without making anybody mad.
General Accounting Office (hard copy located in individual binder) Abstract: Homeland Security Presidential Directive 3 (HSPD-3) established the Homeland Security Advisory System in March 2002. Through the creation of the Homeland Security Advisory System, HSPD-3 sought to produce a common vocabulary, context, and structure for an ongoing discussion about the nature of threats that confront the nation and the appropriate measures that should be taken in response to those threats. Additionally, HSPD-3 established the Homeland Security Advisory System as a mechanism to inform and facilitate decisions related to securing the homeland among various levels of government, the private sector, and American citizens. The Homeland Security Advisory System is comprised of five color-coded threat conditions as described below, which represent levels of risk related to potential terror attack. • Code-red or severe alert—severe risk of terrorist attacks.• Code-orange or high alert—high risk of terrorist attacks. • Code-yellow or elevated alert—significant risk of terrorist attacks. • Code-blue or guarded alert—general risk of terrorist attacks. • Code-green or low alert—low risk of terrorist attacks.
Harvard Center for Risk Analysis Abstract: Good point about the small number of corporations who own the world's media outlets and often sensationalize stories to turn a profit. The Center identifies ten risk perception factors dealing with dread, control, natural vs. human made risks, choice, children, new risks, awareness, personal risk, risk vs. benefit, and trust. If the government can better understand the reasons for people perceiving risk, it can utilize language and policy better in order to address the populace's concerns. This can be done through risk communication that contains substance, not just spin.
Quarantelli, E.L. Abstract: We are now in terms of world history in a time period of very rapid change. The social landscape and features of the 21st Century will be noticeably different from that in which we have lived much of this Century. The most important structures and activities of human life are drastically changing (Smelser 1991). Massive social changes are happening in the political, economic, familial, cultural, educational and scientific areas. For example, there are basic alterations occurring in the role and status of women along with the emergence of new family and household patterns, the growing diffusion and expanding use of applied social science to many areas of life, the globalization of popular culture, and the spread of at least nominal democratic patterns of government. These and the other changes will markedly affect the number and kinds of future disasters and also the planning and managing of them (Quarantelli 1996). However, in this paper we discuss only one of these major changes, namely the information/communication revolution brought about by developments and innovations in computers and related technologies. Or as predicted even 25 years ago, our focus is on the shift "from mechanization to cybernation" (Meadows 1971: 12). This can be seen in the increasing presence in everyday activities of cellular phones, fiber optic cables, satellite dishes, mini-camcorders, CD-ROM discs, scanners, fax machines, automated data bases, layered graphics, on line photographs, video tapes and multi media pieces of equipment and other audiovisual devices. The underlying base is the computer either as a common element or the linking mechanism between various other technologies.
Sandman, Peter Abstract: Addresses the various emotions involved in emergency situations. Each emotion is grouped with similar emotions creating separate categories. These emotions span before an attack, during an attack, and in the events after an attack.
Sandman, Peter Abstract: This is one of three articles I wrote for the CDC's CD-ROM on emergency risk communication. Based partly on my earlier “Anthrax, Bioterrorism, and Risk Communication: Guidelines for Action” (www.psandman.com/col/part1.htm), this one deals with ten “dilemmas” facing emergency communication planners: 1. Candor versus secrecy
Sandman, Peter Abstract: We usually think of emergency communication as communication about an event that is obviously horrific, and is happening right here, right now. That's the usual paradigm: The World Trade Center has fallen, and you're managing Manhattan . Or terrorists have just put poison into your local reservoir. Or the factory downtown just blew up, or the hurricane has wreaked havoc everywhere in the county, or an epidemic of unknown origin is running amuck. Whether it's terrorism, accident, or natural disaster, you're right smack in the middle of something awful. You're job is to manage the communication in mid-emergency.
Sandman, Peter Abstract: Basic article about risk communication. Centers around the “Watch out! And stop worrying” concepts as the two most basic ideas that make up risk communication. Addresses why people will over-estimate risks and how to deal with over-estimation in both a technical and non-technical manner.
Sandman, Peter M. and Jody Lanard Abstract: Talks about the typical responses of Americans when the DHS announced that it would be a good idea to buy duct tape and plastic sheeting. Analyzes reasons why the public rebels against government warnings. The government has begun a “routinization of terror” – “neither pretending the terrorist threat does not exist nor allowing the terrorist threat to dominate our lives.” The public accuses DHS of insulting their intelligence. If people try and prepare, it will free up emergency responders in case something does happen. A plan must be devised at local levels so people know what to expect. Many different strategies are included to help the government connect with the public, despite recommendations that do not always seem the most useful or solid.
Sandman, Peter M. and Jody Lanard Abstract: The overall question is how emergency officials can communicate with the public without completely frightening the public. Emergency officials should not worry about the public's fear. Rather, they should help the public bear the fear they are experiencing. Great statement from North Carolina state epidemiologist Jeff Engel about fear and SARS. Whenever there is a lot of fear, officials have the opportunity to shape the “new normal” within the public. Presents ideas on why officials may perceive the public as in a state of panic.
Sandman, Peter M. and Jody Lanard Abstract: This column will analyze the misleading, over-reassuring, “absolutely” typical PR campaign launched by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on December 23, 2003, after the first U.S. mad cow was found — and why it constitutes bad risk communication.
Sandman, Peter M. and Jody Lanard Abstract: The goal of this column is help figure out how to alert the public to the risk of an influenza pandemic, and how to involve the public in the pandemic preparedness effort. After a brief discussion of this season's flu vaccine shortfall in the U.S. — which has helped make influenza newsworthy — we will suggest talking points for a pandemic pre-crisis communication campaign. Then we will discuss some of the difficult risk communication challenges that arise, illustrated with “mini-case studies” of flu pandemic media coverage.
Vogt, Barbara Muller and John H. Sorensen (hard copy located in individual binder) Abstract: The purpose of this document is to provide a fairly comprehensive source book on risk, risk management, risk communication research and recommended risk communication practices. It does not merely summarize each publication in the risk communication literature, but attempts to synthesize them along the lines of a set of organizing principles. Furthermore, it is not intended to duplicate other guidance manuals (such as Covello et al.'s manual on risk comparisons). The source book was developed for the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) in support of the training module on risk communications. Although the examples provided are specific to CSEPP, its use goes beyond that of CSEPP as the findings apply to a broad spectrum of risk communication topics. While the emphasis is on communication in emergency preparedness and response specific to the CSEPP, the materials cover other non-emergency communication settings. |