Exploring Risk Communication

Abstract

Preface. 1: Hazards and Risks. 1.1 Several hazard events. 1.2. The risk communication aspects of these events. 1.3. Risk awareness. 1.4. Risk: a problem of communication? 1.5. Hazards and risks, a definition. 1.6. Risk management. 1.7. The relevancy of risk communication. 2: Risk Communication. 2.1. What is communication. 2.2. A communication model. 2.3. Risk communication, definition and goals. 2.4. Some normative considerations. 2.5. Risk communication: a systematic planning approach. 2.6. Communication theories applicable to risk communication. 2.7. Some final remarks. 3: The Context of Risk Communication: The Mass Media. 3.1. The production of (risk) news. 3.2. Theories on mass media effects. 3.3. Media hazard-and- risk content. 3.4. The impact of hazard and risk coverage on the public. 3.5. News media as context of the public perception of risk. 4: The Risk Communication Audience. 4.1. Judging and experiencing hazards and risks. 4.2. Risk perception. 4.3. Risk attitudes and behavior. 4.4. Appraisal, emotions, and coping. 4.5. Coping with stressful events. 4.6. Psychological reactions to disaster warnings. 4.7. Some concluding remarks about the risk communication audience. 5: Influences of Risk Messages. 5.1. Type of arguments in risk communication. 5.2. A Dutch field experiment in risk communication. 5.3. Effects of probabilistic risk information. 5.4. Risk comparison. 5.5. Framing of positive and negative arguments. 5.6. Reducing ambiguity in risk communication: explicit conclusions. 5.7. Some concluding remarks about risk messages. 6: The Sources of Risk Messages. 6.1. The relevancy of risk communication sources. 6.2. Source characteristics in communication. 6.3. Preferences for risk communication sources. 6.4. The impact of risk communication sources. 6.5. Some final remarks on risk communication sources. 7: Risk Communication Media. 7.1. 'Traditional' versus 'new' media. 7.2. Media characteristics. 7.3. Differences in effect between media? 7.4. The new media in risk communication. 7.5. Some concluding remarks on risk communication media. 8: Risk Communication Revisited and Future Developments. 8.1. The systematic planning approach to risk communication. 8.2. Risk communication's research agenda. References. Subject Index. Author Index.