Risk Communication (COM 414)
Term: 2024-2025 Spring Semester
Tue-Thu, 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM (1/22/2025 - 5/8/2025) Location: FCSTA KENAN 424
This course explores how people perceive risk and how to communicate effectively about risk, with an emphasis on preparing you to respond when a crisis occurs.This course addresses current thinking and research about the nature of risk, risk perceptions, decision-making, theoretical perspectives on risk perception and risk communication, and application of these theories to risk and crisis communication events. We will examine the literature across disciplinary lines to address how people understand and make sense of risk information communicated through mass media and interpersonal channels. The course also examines the opportunities and challenges related to new media's role in risk communication contexts. Considerations related to communicating with underserved, non-English speaking, and Global South populations are also discussed.