Risk communication : a handbook for communicating environmental, safety, and health risks / Regina E. Lundgren, Andrea H. McMakin.

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher.

Cover; IEEE Press; Title page; Copyright page; Contents; List of Figures; List of Tables; Preface; About the Authors; 1: Introduction; To Begin; The Risk Communication Process; Audiences, Situations, and Purposes; References; I: Understanding Risk Communication; 2: Approaches to Communicating Risk; Communication Process Approach; National Research Council's Approach; Mental Models Approach; Crisis Communication Approach; Convergence Communication Approach; Three-Challenge Approach; Social Constructionist Approach; Hazard Plus Outrage Approach; Mental Noise Approach.

Social Network Contagion ApproachSocial Amplification of Risk Approach; Social Trust Approach; Evolutionary Theory Approach; Extended Parallel Process Model Approach; Summary; References; Additional Resources; 3: Laws that Mandate Risk Communication; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act; Executive Order 12898, Environmental Justice in Minority Populations; Executive Order 13045, Reduce Environmental Health and Safety Risks to Children.

Food and Drug Administration Regulations on Prescription Drug CommunicationNational Environmental Policy Act; Natural Resource Damage Assessment; Occupational Safety and Health Act; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; Risk Management Program Rule; Privacy Rule; Other Government Inducements; International Standards; North American Standards; Grants; Summary; References; Additional Resources; 4: Constraints to Effective Risk Communication; Constraints on the Communicator; Organizational Constraints; Emotional Constraints; Constraints from the Audience; Hostility and Outrage.

Panic and DenialApathy; Mistrust of Risk Assessment; Disagreements on the Acceptable Magnitude of Risk; Lack of Faith in Science and Institutions; Learning Difficulties; Constraints for Both Communicator and Audience; Stigma; Stability of the Knowledge Base; Summary; References; Additional Resources; 5: Ethical Issues; Social Ethics; The Sociopolitical Environment's Influence; The Use of the Risk Idiom; Fairness of the Risk; Consequences of Multiple Meanings; The Issue of Stigma; Organizational Ethics; Legitimacy of Representation; Designation of Primary Audience; Releasing Information.

Attitude toward Compliance with RegulationsPersonal Ethics; Using Persuasion; The Role of the Communicator; Organizational Ethics or Personal Ethics?; Summary; References; Additional Resources; 6: Principles of Risk Communication; Principles of Process; Know Your Communication Limits and Purpose; Whenever Possible, Pretest Your Message; Communicate Early, Often, and Fully; Remember That Perception Is Reality; Principles of Presentation; Know Your Audience; Do Not Limit Yourself to One Form or One Method; Simplify Language and Presentation, Not Content; Be Objective, Not Subjective.

Communicate Honestly, Clearly, and Compassionately.

This fully-updated fifth edition includes real-life examples of current events such as the Japanese tsunami, the Gulf oil disaster, and Hurricane Irene, along with lessons learned from these events. The coverage also includes new chapters on public health campaigns, and on the use and effectiveness of social media such as blogging, video, and image sharing for risk communication purposes. Combing sound, scientific research with practical advice in an accessible format, this book is a must-read for practitioners, engineers, scientists, and public health agencies.