Risk Communication
Risk communication is most often related to issues of health, in contrast to crisis communication, which is concerned with calamitous events. Those who communicate risks warn the public of the risks of certain behaviors so they can change their habits when it comes to certain “identifiable risks, such as smoking, unsafe sex, or drinking and driving” (Seeger 234). Once the risks have been conveyed, these behaviors can be adjusted accordingly in order to avoid more serious problems.
For a person struggling with an alcohol addiction, AA would be an appropriate form of risk communication to help resolve the issue. Food safety is a issue that’s dealt with carefully by the FDA using Risk Communication strategies. With foods many health issues can surface such as Ebola, and salmonella. Successful risk communication is necessary to handle these outbreaks to the public. Health issues such as these can cause panic in the public, and must be handled carefully- FDA. (2012, November). Strategic plan for Risk Communication. Retrieved from fda.gov/AboutFDA/ReportsManualsForms/Reports/ucm183673.htm.
It is very important that the media delivers risk communication in a calmly fashion, rather than in a way that may cause the public to panic. The community must be aware of the magnitude of the risk, which can actually cause communication benefits, the community may take the information to work together and strategize.- Miller, Barbara, Packer, Alissa A., Barnett, Brooke. (2011, July). Retrieved – http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=3d374ba5-c60b-4d61-9bae-7dc2dfde79ce%40sessionmgr113&hid=121&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=ufh&AN=62872786
Crisis Communication
It is important to have immediate communication when any kind of crisis occurs. For example, in a business setting, customers will want to be notified how the emergency will impact them. In a community setting, the local government needs to notify its residents. FEMA. (2012, November). Each kind of “audience” needs to be informed of a crisis so they can create a strategic plan. Communication within the environment helps not only avoid a crisis, but help get through it. Retrieved – http://www.ready.gov/business/implementation/crisis
Crisis communication deals with problems and repairing events that have already occurred or are currently occurring. Unlike risk communication, crisis communication does not warn the public of any problem in advance. However, risk communication has played a role in dealing with large emergency situations because if a emergency situation is still occurring, the public can be warned of any possible precautions that could be taken.
A crisis communication approach will be included in this analysis because health scares do occur, and we may need to know how risk communicators handle these emergency situations when delivering information to the public. The question of whether crisis communication is logical to share with society poses many responses, and teams are usually formed to discuss the best course of action. First there is internal communication. Internal communication discusses the causes of crisis situations, and determines how to handle them properly by communicating with team members, and staying on page with ones teams to avoid leaks and mistakes- David George, Internal Communication. (2011). Journal of Media Research.
Once a crisis situation occurs it is important to communicate with ones team so that way they may take the right course of action. In most cases there are more than one possible solution, but not every solution is a good solution without consequences. Being able to make the right decisions in crisis situations can be key in avoiding disasters, and further damaging crisis’s. Every team should have its own individual game plan to use in case of a crisis. Having a game plan before a crisis can make communication easier that way team members can be on the same page Leeanne M. Bell, Crisis Communication. (April 2011). Review of Communication.