Category: Risk Communication

ABB & LSQ Risk Comm Workshop May 5, QUT Brisbane

Many of the approaches that are currently used to communicate in controversial, high concern or crisis situations are based on public agency models of public relations. These often less than truthful, sender-orientated methods take their core direction from PR strategies developed in the 50s and 60s largely at the behest of ‘Big Tobacco.’ These fail […]

Thoughts on Food Risk Communication

Communication around issues of food risks has been a major task of food information associations around the world. Strategies borrowed from PR, demographic-based targeting, linear educational models, and use of ‘expert’ authorities and third party techniques are standard approaches to communicating food safety to diverse audiences. This article looks at some of the problems around […]

95% Rule Part 2: Stakeholder Prediction

Last week we introduced an important rule of risk communication. The 95% rule informs risk managers that in any risk discourse, only 5% of the perceptions and concerns about risks relate to the technical facts about the risk, i.e. hazards. These measurable hazards (usually calculated in terms of probability x magnitude) are what risk analysts […]

Risk Communication and The 95% Rule

Over the last 15 years we have seen defining studies published examining the social and psychological influences on risk communication, as well as highly relevant studies on social trust, the social amplification of risk framework, and the influence of risk on mass media. With such a burgeoning and dynamic research community exploring such a diverse […]

Decide Announce & Defend (DAD)

In our transparent Risk Society, the Decide, Announce, & Defend (DAD) approach to risk management and policy development is failing. Risk decisions should be infused into a long-term, interactive risk communication process that begins right at the beginning of decision/policy-making and continues as part of any organic process, embracing feedback and modifying decisions and communication […]

Risk Communication & Biobusiness

Challenges facing organizations in Asia-Pacific Executive summary of presentation given at NZBIO Conference 2013 by Dr Andrew Powell CEO, Asia Biobusiness. Over the last 30 years the science of risk communication has been applied as part of efforts to communicate risks to audiences in a more effective manner. Demand for information on risks affecting the public […]

Biorisk Communication—8th A-PBA Conference April 22, 2013

Asia Biobusiness (ABB) ran a pre-conference workshop on “Risk Communication—Effective Communication in High Stress, Biothreat & Bioemergencies” at the 8th A-PBA Biosafety Association  Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Twenty enthusiastic participants, all new to risk communication, took part in a three-hour interactive session focussing on biorisk communication during outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases, and the […]

6th Asian Food Safety & Nutrition Conference

Note: Asia Biobusiness presented the following abstract at the 6th Asian Food Safety & Nutrition Conference in Singapore, November 26–28, 2012. At the conference leading exponents of Risk Communication, including CSIRO’s David Cox and University of Newcastle’s Lynn Frewer and Mary Brennan presented on food and risk perception to over 300 delegates. Building Trust in […]

Risk Communication & Biosecurity Strategy

In May 2012, Asia Biobusiness presented the following article at the Plant Biosecurity CRC Science Exchange 2012 meeting in Perth, Australia. — COMMUNICATION OF BIOSECURITY RISK involves engaging a wide range of stakeholders with divergent levels of knowledge, risk perceptions, attitudes, attention spans and critically, dispositions to trust. Such variables create challenges for communicators looking to build […]