Health Risk Communication and Media
Risk communication is a concept defined by many organizations like World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Effective risk communication is a complex process. It is an interactive process of exchange of information and opinion among individuals, groups, and institutions. Risk communication is part of the risk management process, with the primary aims to promote awareness and understanding of risks. In the risk management process, risk communication is at the center. There are a number of approaches to the process of risk communication and its components, including how messages are sent and received. The management of public health outbreaks has always included a specific communication component in the form of warnings, risk messages, evacuation notifications, messages regarding self-efficacy, information regarding symptoms, and medical treatment, among many others. Media can play a significant role for raising awareness of the health issues. But the difficulty is to find the right channel of communication for the target audience.