Risk Communication and Public Perception of Military Pollution in Estonia

The potential for stigmatisation of food is enormous. Well-publicised outbreaks of foodborne pathogens and the furore over agricultural biotechnology are but two current examples of the interactions between science, policy and public perception. Current risk management research indicates that it is essential for risk managers to show that they are reducing, mitigating or minimising a particular risk. Those responsible must be able to effectively communicate their efforts and must be able to prove they are actually reducing levels of risk.The components for managing the stigma associated with any food safety issue involve the following factors:• effective and rapid surveillance systems;• effective communication about the nature of risk;• a credible, open and responsive regulatory system;• demonstrable efforts to reduce levels of uncertainty and risk; and,• evidence that actions match words.Appropriate risk management strategies, such as on-farm food safety programs, are essential to demonstrate to consumers and others in the farm-to-fork supply chain that producers and regulators are cognisant of their concerns about food safety. Key words: Agricultural biotechnology, microbial food safety, genetically engineered food, risk perception, risk communication, risk management

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Authorized, Clear and Timely Communication of Risk to Guide Public Perception and Action: Lessons of COVID-19 From China

10.21203/rs.3.rs-76141/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ni Gong ◽

Jing Liao ◽

Xiaoyuan Jin ◽

Yundong Li ◽

Meifen Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Risk Perception ◽

Risk Communication ◽

Public Perception ◽

Online Survey ◽

Perception And Action ◽

Release Time ◽

Information Quantity ◽

Government Websites ◽

Available Information

Abstract Backgrounds: This study examined the dynamic association between risk communication and public’s risk perception and action across the COVID-19 outbreak timeline in China.Methods: Publicly available information on COVID-19 was collected by Parehub tool for official channels (e.g. government websites and official media), and by Zhongyun Big Data Platform for mainstream Chinese social media (e.g. TikTok, Weibo, etc.). Information was examined by its release channels, content and release time. An online survey was conducted via WeChat across 33 provinces and municipalities of China to assess changes in participants’ risk perception and action against COVID-19. Information content and release-time trajectories were examined against the public’s risk perception and actions over time.Results: Altogether, 1,477 pieces of authorized information and 297,000 pieces of short videos on COVID-19 were retrieved from official channels and social media. Our online survey of 1,311 responds (25-60 years, 42% male) indicated that participants mainly relied on official channels to obtain information. Alongside the progress of the outbreak, there was a gradual rise in information quantity, publishing frequency, and content variation. Correspondingly, the public’s risk perception that “take it seriously" rose from 13% to 80%, 87.1% of who took “multiple actions” compared to 25.9% initially.Conclusions: Our findings indicated that insufficient information freely-accessible at the early stages of the outbreak may nevertheless lead to the lack of risk awareness and inadequate protective actions of the public. Given the current global situation of COVID-19, the study highlights authorized, transparent, and timely two-way risk communication is vital to guide public perception and actions.

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Authorized, Clear and Timely Communication of Risk to Guide Public Perception and Action: Lessons of COVID-19 from China

10.21203/rs.3.rs-192109/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ni Gong ◽

Jing Liao ◽

Xiaoyuan Jin ◽

Yundong Li ◽

Meifen Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Risk Perception ◽

Risk Communication ◽

Public Perception ◽

Online Survey ◽

Perception And Action ◽

Release Time ◽

Information Quantity ◽

Government Websites ◽

Available Information

Abstract Backgrounds: This study examined the dynamic association between risk communication and public’s risk perception and action across the COVID-19 outbreak timeline in China.Methods: Publicly available information on COVID-19 was collected by Parehub tool for official channels (e.g. government websites and official media), and by Zhongyun Big Data Platform for mainstream Chinese social media (e.g. TikTok, Weibo, etc.). Information was examined by its release channels, content and release time. An online survey was conducted via WeChat across 33 provinces and municipalities of China to assess changes in participants’ risk perception and action against COVID-19. Information content and release-time trajectories were examined against the public’s risk perception and actions over time.Results: Altogether, 1,477 pieces of authorized information and 297,000 pieces of short videos on COVID-19 were retrieved from official channels and social media. Our online survey of 1,311 responds (25-60 years, 42% male) indicated that participants mainly relied on official channels to obtain information. Alongside the progress of the outbreak, there was a gradual rise in information quantity, publishing frequency, and content variation. Correspondingly, the public’s risk perception that “take it seriously" rose from 13% to 80%, 87.1% of who took “multiple actions” compared to 25.9% initially.Conclusions: Our findings indicated that insufficient information freely-accessible at the early stages of the outbreak may nevertheless lead to the lack of risk awareness and inadequate protective actions of the public. Given the current global situation of COVID-19, the study highlights authorized, transparent, and timely two-way risk communication is vital to guide public perception and actions.

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Risk Communication and Public Perception of Technological Hazards (Part One)

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.200573 ◽

2000 ◽

Author(s):

Virginia Recchia

Keyword(s):

Risk Communication ◽

Public Perception

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Crisis Communication and Public Perception of COVID-19 Risk in the Era of Social Media

Clinical Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/cid/ciaa758 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Kristen M C Malecki ◽

Julie A Keating ◽

Nasia Safdar

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Risk Communication ◽

Public Perception ◽

Risk Mitigation ◽

Improve Patient Care ◽

Personal Control ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Public Understanding ◽

Scientific Uncertainty ◽

Late 20Th Century

Abstract A number of important principles in effective risk communication established in the late 20th century can provide important scientific insight into patient response to the risks posed by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Early risk communication scholars found acceptability of risk was shaped by 2 key components: hazard and outrage. The number of people who are exposed, infected, and fall ill can be considered the hazard. How the public and patients and respond to messages regarding risk mitigation relates to outrage. Social and cultural factors, immediacy, uncertainty, familiarity, personal control, scientific uncertainty, and trust in institutions and media all shape perception and response to risk mesaging. Outrage factors influence the ever-changing public understanding of COVID-19 risk. In concert, hazard and outrage along with cultural and economic context shape adherence to, and overall acceptance of, personal mitigation strategies including wearing facemasks and social distancing among the general public. The spread of misinformation on social media also provides both challenges and opportunities for clinicians. Social media offers an opportunity for experts to quickly convey true information about hazards, but offers others the opportunity to counter this with the spread of misinformation and exacerbate outrage. We propose strategies for infectious diseases clinicians to apply risk communication principles and frameworks to improve patient care and public message development in response to COVID-19.

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On Social Value of Risk Information in Risk Communication

ASCE-ASME J Risk and Uncert in Engrg Sys Part B Mech Engrg ◽

10.1115/1.4037210 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yan Wang

Keyword(s):

Risk Communication ◽

Private Information ◽

Public Perception ◽

Risk Information ◽

Scientific Data ◽

Social Value ◽

Public Understanding ◽

Public And Private ◽

Personal Bias ◽

Proposed Model

The conventional research of risk communication centers on how scientific community can improve trust and credibility in public perception, enhance public understanding of risks, and change public behaviors to conform to technocratic values. More recently, the emphasis of risk communication has evolved from conveying scientific data and risk information to establishing effective information flows. It has been recognized that establishing two-way communication channels among experts, governments, corporate, and general public is important to build trust relationship. With conflicting interests and coordination motive among stakeholders, the societal aspects of risk communication need to be considered. In this paper, a mathematical model of social value of risk information is proposed to explicitly incorporate factors such as public and private information, personal bias, knowledge, and social behavior in risk communication. Uncertainties associated with the perceived risks due to both the lack of knowledge and individual differences in population are considered in the proposed model. The impacts of precision and accuracy of risk information as well as subjective bias on social welfare are characterized. Some of the model predictions on the effectiveness of communication are verified with the observations in other's survey studies. The proposed model could potentially be used to help devise risk communication strategies and policies. Its use is demonstrated in a case study of Fukushima nuclear accident.

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Medical staff perceptions of risk communication needs for the public and comparison with the needs expressed by the public

Radioprotection ◽

10.1051/radiopro/2020060 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 55 (3) ◽

pp. 199-206

Author(s):

Y. Yoshida ◽

Y. Yoshida

Keyword(s):

Radiation Exposure ◽

Risk Communication ◽

Medical Staff ◽

Local Governments ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Public Perception ◽

Central Government ◽

Medical Doctors ◽

The Public ◽

Regulatory Sciences

Risk communication programs about radiation exposure should be conducted continuously and rigorously by healthcare workers in the Tohoku region in order to reduce the stress caused by radiation exposure. This study aimed to compare the perception by medical staff of the public need to the public need as defined in a previous study, as well as examine the level of perception among healthcare workers of the two concepts “as low as reasonably achievable” (ALARA), and Regulatory Sciences. These two concepts were expected to be the ones to impart information regarding the effect of radiation on the human body during risk communication. The results showed differences between the public perception of risks and belief of what the public risk perception was by the medical staff. In addition, only 23.5% and 16.5% medical doctors had accurate perception of ALARA and Regulatory Sciences in Japan, respectively, even after the great East Japan Earthquake., ALARA and Regulatory Sciences should be added to healthcare workers’ education curriculums to enhance their knowledge level of these concepts. From the viewpoint of laypersons, public health awareness programs conducted by the local and central governments ranked fourth and fifth respectively as sources of information. One of the reasons was that, to some extent, the attitude of the central government seemed apt to be overbearing to laypersons. Therefore, we also believe that medical doctors are expected to be intermediaries between central/local governments and laypersons.

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