Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication October 2002 The purpose of this course is to introduce the reader to communication principles and tools as they relate to what we have called emergency risk communication. The principles in this course borrow from (1) font of classical rhetoricians, (2) wealth of modern crisis, issues management, communication and psychological theory and, (3) lessons learned form the real and often painful world of experience, old- fashioned trial and error. Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication is an introductory course that addresses a number of topics critical to successful public, partner and stakeholder communication during an emergency situation. This is not an in depth course on risk communication, issues management, crisis or disaster communication. It is an amalgamation of all of these incorporating from their theory and practical applications. It draws on the work of many professionals in these fields including Dr. Peter Sandman and Dr.Vincent Covello. Therefore, no one module is a complete source for a specific discipline such as media relations or risk communication. In fact, they are an introduction to the basics of that discipline and meant to help those who are charged with these responsibilities, and who may not be steeped in these subjects, to manage the tasks of planning and implementing crisis and emergency risk communication. When possible, we have provided resource sites that offer more in depth materials on a particular subject. Crisis and emergency risk communication is the attempt by science- or public health professionals to provide information that allows an individual, stakeholders, or an entire community to make the best possible decisions during a crisis emergency about their well being, and communicate those decisions, within nearly impossible time constraints, and ultimately, to accept the imperfect nature of choices as the situation evolves. Contents Module 1 ♦ Introduction ....................................................................................................................................1 Introduction to Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication.........................................................................1 Communication during a public health crisis............................................................................................1 Types of Crises..........................................................................................................................................2 The Risk of Disaster.......................................................................................................................................3 Emergency/crisis/risk communication definitions ....................................................................................5 Emergencies, disasters, and crises.............................................................................................................6 Crisis Communication Lifecycle....................................................................................................................7 Precrisis phase...........................................................................................................................................7 Initial phase ...............................................................................................................................................8 Crisis maintenance ....................................................................................................................................9 Resolution .................................................................................................................................................9 Evaluation ...............................................................................................................................................10 Role of Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication...................................................................................11 Module 2 ♦ Psychology of a Crisis...................................................................................................................13 Human Behavior in an Emergency: What Can Communication Address?..................................................13 Harmful actions instigated by crisis-related psychological issues ..........................................................14 Communication in a Crisis Is Different........................................................................................................16 Decisionmaking.......................................................................................................................................16 Perception of risk ....................................................................................................................................17 How To Communicate Effectively in a Crisis..............................................................................................22 Be careful with risk comparisons............................................................................................................22 Don’t over-reassure.................................................................................................................................23 Sensitive syntax: put the good news in subordinate clauses ...................................................................23 Acknowledge uncertainty........................................................................................................................23 Give people things to do..........................................................................................................................24 Stop trying to allay panic ........................................................................................................................24 Acknowledge people’s fears ...................................................................................................................25 Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication During Different Stages of Crisis..........................................26 Precrisis phase.........................................................................................................................................26 Initial phase .............................................................................................................................................26 Maintenance phase..................................................................................................................................27 Resolution phase .....................................................................................................................................28 Facts To Consider About Human Psychology During a Crisis....................................................................30 Negative effects of traumatic stress disorder in a disaster situation........................................................30 Positive responses following a disaster...................................................................................................30 Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) .....................................................................................................30 Understanding concepts of death, dying, and grief.................................................................................32 Module 3 ♦ Messages and Audiences ..............................................................................................................35 The Message—Content Counts in an Emergency........................................................................................35 Consider your audiences .........................................................................................................................35 How Audiences Judge Messages in a Crisis ................................................................................................38 How To Make the Facts Work in Your Message .........................................................................................41 Avoid.......................................................................................................................................................41 Precrisis phase: Building consensus for actions...........................................................................................43 CDC ♦ Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication iii Contents Culture and the message .............................................................................................................................. 45 Getting to know your border neighbors.................................................................................................. 45 Organizing Information for Emergency Response Presentations ................................................................ 48 Sharing new information when facing little or no resistance ................................................................. 48 Progress reports ...................................................................................................................................... 48 Problem-solving...................................................................................................................................... 49 Explain why something happened .......................................................................................................... 49 Teach a new concept or process ............................................................................................................