Putting Risk Communication Policy into Practice: A U.S. Federal Perspective

Abstract

In a growing number of U.S. government agencies, risk communication is no longer an unfamiliar, technical term. Although the concept itself is still new to some, the abundance of conferences, seminars, and research studies with ‘risk communication’ in their titles reflects the growing attention devoted to involving the public in decisions that may directly impact their lives. In terms of government’s risk communication efforts, several motivating forces account for the increased interest, including:

• a requirement for or desire to inform;

• a desire to overcome opposition to decisions;

• a desire to share power between government and public groups; and

• a desire to develop effective alternatives to direct regulatory control.