Applied Risk Communication: Strategy, Crisis, and Practice

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Drawing on contemporary research in risk perception, health communication, emotion science, media studies, and information technology, participants will move from understanding how and why people respond to risk information to designing communication strategies that are evidence-based, audience-centered, and ethically grounded. 

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Understand how science and health information and misinformation flows in a complex digital information ecosystems 

• Lead the development of a comprehensive, multi-channel health communication strategy tailored to a specific public health context, audience, and set of organizational constraints 

• Apply risk perception research and emotion science to design messages that reduce unnecessary fear, sustain public motivation to act, and maintain long-term trust 

• Facilitate organizational communication decision-making during normal and in times of emergencies, including conditions of scientific uncertainty, expert disagreement, or eroded institutional credibility 

• Critically evaluate health communication campaigns and institutional responses for strategic effectiveness, equity implications, and ethical dimensions, identifying key failures and recommending evidence-informed improvements 

• Develop and present a complete strategic communication plan for their own organization or context, including audience segmentation, message frameworks, platform selection, and metrics for evaluation