Participatory Risk Communication Essay

Lang, Fewell, and Burton (2010) defined risk communication as an interactive exchange of risk information, opinions amongstinstitutions or interested parties, with the main objective of analyzing and mitigating risks. It is about disseminating targeted messages in different contexts, and to create awareness on the probabilities and potential of risks and consequences to potential audiences, and to modify the attitude of targeted audiences through behavior change (Sandman & Jody, 2012).
Recent scholarships have revealed that risk communication continues to be used in differentcontexts due to its provisional nature (Arlikatti, Taibah & Andrew, 2016; Holtzhausen, & Zerfass, 2015).It has been usedby health practitioners to communicate health emergencies.
It has been adopted by government agencies to communicate emergency readiness as well as to calm the public during emergencies and to generate sense of urgency when the hazard is high risks (Sandman, 2012; Schiavo, 2014; Greenberg, 2012).It has also been used by industrial companies to communicate pro actively to communities, and as a corporate social responsibility tool (Cooper, 2012). Therefore, this makes risk communication an important management aspectin any organization thatseeks to prevent potential crisis.
But Kelly (2014) argues that organization or government agencies ability to manage risks is dependent on its capacity to adopt an effective risk communication strategy.
However, Nurse, Creese, Goldsmith, & Lamberts, (2011) have pointed that there is no one size fits all communication strategy.Several risk communication strategies have been proposed by risk communication scholars; some of these approaches are participatory risk communication strategy; probability risk communication strategy; contextualized approach crisis communication strategy; care communication strategy consensus communication strategy; public relations; stakeholder relations; outrage communication; technocratic risk
communication.
Probability risk communication strategy is one of the earliest forms of risk communication strategies ( ).
When an organization adopts the probability risk communication strategy, risk information is presented through numerical formats like frequencies, numbers, relative risks or odds. In addition, proponents of probability risk communication strategy have argued that risk communication can also be calculated and evaluated through scientific methodologies in order to ascertain the degree of risk. In recent years probability risk communication has been criticized by scholars and risk communication experts who have argued that this form of risk communication is not participatory as compared participatory risk communication
strategy.
According to Shirabe Fasset and Hassengwa (2016) participatory risk communication strategy can be defined as dialogue between experts’ citizens on how to mitigate risks. These authors further point out that participatory risk communication entails teaching people through expertson how to shield themselves from risks and imminent danger, by developing monitoring and evaluations programs. But Holtzhausen, & Zerfass, (2015) have argued that implementing participatory risk communication is a complex process that is characterized with un easiness from decision makers who may fear to loss their decision making power to the public.

Another alternative to risk participatory communication is the public relations risk communication strategy. Risk in public relations is measured through perceptions. Risk perception can defined as the subjective judgment that people make about the severity of a risk The phrase is most commonly used in reference to natural hazards and threats to theenvironment or health, such as nuclear power.