Abstract
Abstract. Effective communication of heat risk to public audiences is critical for promoting behavioral changes that reduce susceptibility to heat-related illness. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) provides heat-related information to the public using social media platforms such as Facebook. We applied a novel rhetorical framework to evaluate 5 years (2015–2019) of public responses to heat-related Facebook posts from the NWS office in Phoenix (Arizona) to identify “commonplaces” or community norms, beliefs, and values that may present challenges to the effectiveness of heat risk communication. Phoenix is in one of the hottest regions in North America and is the 10th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. We found the following two key commonplaces: (1) the normalization of heat and (2) heat as a marker of community identity. These commonplaces imply that local audiences may be resistant to behavioral change, but they can also be harnessed in an effort to promote protective action. We also found that public responses to NWS posts declined over the heat season, further suggesting the normalization of heat and highlighting the need to maintain engagement. This work provides a readily generalizable framework for other messengers of high-impact weather events to improve the effectiveness of their communication with receiver audiences.
Highlights
Extreme heat is the deadliest weather or climate-related hazard in the U.S (National Weather Service, 2019)
Heatrelated mortality is exacerbated by the persistence of knowledge gaps between messengers and receiver audiences that limit the effectiveness of heat risk communication and/or delivery (Abrahamson et al, 2008; Chowdhury and Haque, 2008; Chowdhury et al, 2012; Semenza et al, 2008)
Tion of heat and that (2) heat is seen as a marker of community identity. Both commonplaces validate perceptions held within the National Weather Service (NWS) Phoenix about the community norms, beliefs, and values shared among members of the local public
Summary
Extreme heat is the deadliest weather or climate-related hazard in the U.S (National Weather Service, 2019). Recommended approaches for doing so include creating virtual public education opportunities (Neumann et al, 2018; Stephens et al, 2019), increasing the consistency and repetition of messaging (Hawkins et al, 2017; Keul et al, 2018), and integrating nuanced understanding of public knowledge and beliefs into risk communication (Chowdhury et al, 2012). To accomplish the latter, frameworks and tools are needed to help communicators of risk identify that nuance
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
