Risk Communication and the Outrage Factor

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Risk Communication and the Outrage Factor

• Ideas from Peter Sandmans
• Responding to Community Outrage

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PETER M. SANDMAN, Ph.D

• Responding to Community Outrage
• Strategies for Effective Risk Communication
• American Industrial Hygiene Association, 1993

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Presenter

• Mary Ellen Bell
• University of Wisconsin-Extension
• Public Information and
• Communications Specialist

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Risk Hazard Outrage

• Its just as hard to alarm people as to reassure
  them.

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The public often misperceives the hazard. The
experts often misperceive the outrage. But the
overarching problem is that the public cares too
little about the hazard, and the experts care too
little about the outrage.
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Outrage is real

• As real as hazard
• As measurable as hazard
• As manageable as hazard
• As much a part of risk as hazard

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Outrage Factors

• Voluntary
• Natural
• Familiar
• Not Memorable
• Not Dreaded
• Chronic
• Knowable

• Coerced
• Industrial
• Exotic
• Memorable
• Dreaded
• Catastrophic
• Not Knowable

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Outrage Factors

• Controlled by me
• Fair
• Morally Irrelevant
• I trust you
• Process is Responsive

• Controlled by Others
• Unfair
• Morally Relevant
• I dont trust you
• Process is Unresponsive

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Outrage Factors

• Coerced
• Skiing by force

• Voluntary
• Skiing by choice

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Outrage Factors

• Natural
• Mother Natures radon

• Industrial
• Dr. Jekylls radon

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Outrage Factors

• Not memorable

• Memorable

Personal experience Media coverage Symbolism
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Outrage Factors

• Dreaded
• Cancer

• Not Dreaded
• Colds

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Outrage Factors

• Knowable

• Not knowable

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Outrage Factors

• Controlled by me

• Controlled by others

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Outrage Factors

• Morally irrelevant

• Morally relevant

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Outrage Factors

• Process is responsive
• Openness
• Apology
• Courtesy
• Sharing values
• Compassion

• Process not responsive
• Secrecy
• Stonewalling
• Discourtesy
• Confronting values
• Dispassion

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Take-home message

• The expert speaks, (relying on the power of
  authority, government, university, science) is a
  dangerous strategy for dealing with people who
  are experiencing uncertainty or ambivalence.