Table 5 The message-cantered approach and its best practices of risk communication (Zhang et al., 2020).

From: Science communication as a preventative tool in the COVID19 pandemic

Best Practices for risk communication

Description

Infuse risk communication into policy decision

Policies about risk may evolve and be communicated in a variety of ways, Decision making needs to be based on constant risk communication.

Treat risk communication as a process

Effective risk communication is a dynamic, interactive and adaptive process

Account for the uncertainty inherent in risk

Using equivocal messages to convey risk information

Design risk messages to be culturally sensitive

Risk communication should fit specific features of the audience

These features include gender, education, age and culture.

Acknowledge divers levels of risk tolerance

People have widely varying capacities to process risk messages, includes scientific and technical understanding of risk

Involved the public in dialogue about risk

Risk communication dialogues should involve collaboration between the government, industry and citizen that are open, inclusive and deliberative.

Present risk messages with honesty

Risk communication should be an open, honest and frank process instead of essentially manipulative.

Meet risk perception needs by remaining open and accessible to the public

Honest communication is accessible and open as well, which means that the publican receive messages by various channels

Collaborate and coordinate about risk with credible information sources

Coordination of risk communication strategies requires information sharing and establishing networks of working relationships between groups and agencies

  1. Source: This table is content summary from Sellnow et al., 2009.