PRINCIPLES OF

RISK
COMMUNICATION
BA COMMUNICATION - IIA GROUP 1
INTRODUCTION
The risk communication literature outlines principles
for effectively communicating risk. The audience must
regard the communication organization as honest and
trustworthy and the fact that the audience must be
permitted to participate in the risk management
choice.
PRINCIPLES Principles of process relate to
the process of planning and

OF PROCESS conducting a risk communication

effort.
1.
1. Know Your Communication
Limits and Purpose
You must know why you are communicating and any limitations to
your ability to communicate risk.

• Regulatory • Organizational • Audience

requirements requirements. requirements.
2. Whenever Possible, Pretest
Your Message
Audience analysis should be part of every effort to communicate risk.
3. Communicate Risk communication should begin

Early, Often,
as soon as a risk has been
identified and continue as new
and Fully information becomes available.
 4. Remember That
Perception Is Reality
Makes decisions based heavily on the audience's
perception, not just on the technical aspect.
PRINCIPLES OF
Another set of principles
addresses how to present the risk

PRESENTATION
information in ways that best
communicate the risk to the
intended audience.
1.
1. Know Your Audience
You cannot communicate unless you know to whom
you are communicating.
 2. Do Not Limit Yourself to
One Form or One Method
Any audience for a risk communication message will be made up
of a variety of segments, each with different levels of knowledge
about the risk, of interest in the risk, and of being at risk. You
will need to find methods that best meet the needs of each
segment.
 3. Be Objective,
Not Subjective
Quantify information whenever possible. For example,
give numbers that can be put in perspective, and
concrete information.
 4. Communicate Honestly,
Clearly, and Compassionately
Present information at your audience’s level of understanding.
 5. Listen and Deal with
Specific Concerns
Besides dealing with the emotions behind concerns,
listen to what people are are saying about the risk
itself. Do not discount concerns that seem to be based
on faulty scientific information or are peripheral to
the situation.
 6. Convey the Same
Information to All Segments of
Your Audience
To maintain trust, you have to give everybody the same
information.
 7. Deal with Uncertainty
In communicating about risks, you can never present
results as definitive; no study is ever the final word.
Instead, you must discuss sources of uncertainty, such
as how the data were gathered, how they were
analyzed, and how the results were interpreted. The
sources of uncertainty and how you communicate
about them vary among care, consensus, The research
on risk communication and crisis risk assessments.
PRINCIPLES
FOR Comparing risks in risk
communication is both beneficial

COMPARING and complex.

RISKS
1 . Use Analogies, but Do Not
1.
Trivialize
Using analogies can make complex risks easier to
understand.
 2. Use Ranges
You can express a risk using a range of numbers. This
method of risk comparison is especially good for
hostile audiences in that your audience can determine
for themselves where the risk falls on a hazard scale,
and you do not have to decide “significance” for them,
a practice that can lead to increased hostility.
 3. Compare with Standards
You could compare the results of your risk assessment with such a
standard. If your results are higher than the standard, you are
showing your audience that they should be concerned. If your results
are lower than the standard, you are showing your audience that
they probably have no reason for concern.
 4. Compare with Other Estimates of
the Same Risk
A number of assessments performed ex. Government researcher , University researcher,
and Independent Researcher hired by the concerned citizen group may all study a
particular risk. - Another way of comparing is based the comparison of different traits
of segments of you audiences.

Use age groups (risk to Geographic regions( risk Lifestyle ( risk to the
infant vs. risk to senior on the East Coast vs. avid sportsman vs. risk
citizens.) Risk on the West Coast) to the farmer vs. risk to
the city dweller)
 5. Compare Traits
Another way to compare risks is to base the
comparison on different traits of segme
6. Do Not Compare Risks with
Different Levels of Associated
Outrage
Comparing risks that evoke different levels of anger
and frustration can be tricky.
EXPLAIN The formal and informal

REDUCTION IN
considerations of risk invariably
include financial expenditure to

MAGNITUDE
manage risk.
 Summary
Transparent, sympathetic, and clear message are
necessary for effectively communicating risk.
Emphasizing the significance of personal
accountability and proactive approaches in effectively
managing risk.